Distracted driving more common among women, study shows

The Society for Risk Analysis has recently published a situation-based analysis of driver behaviors, which may be of interest to drivers in South Carolina. The analysis focused on distracted driving and those groups that are at a high risk for it. Drivers who had a strong intention to use their mobile phone behind the wheel were classified under four profiles: inexperienced drivers, uninhibited drivers, drivers with little sense of road safety and women drivers.

The last profile may or may not be surprising, but analysts discovered that women are more likely than men to engage in distracted driving. Between the two most frequent forms of distracted behavior, calling and texting, the former was more common among all drivers. This may be because of the visual demands that texting requires.

Making phone calls can double the risk for a car crash while texting increases the risk by six times. Yet 68 percent of participants claimed they are not convinced that texting can be dangerous. Observational studies showed that most drivers had some form of self-regulation when it came to these distracting behaviors. Some would avoid phone use in heavy traffic and in the presence of police officers, for instance.

The authors believe that their results could help with the creation of campaigns against distracted driving. Profiling and targeting high-risk groups, they say, is essential to the task.

Drivers are responsible for their actions behind the wheel, so when negligence contributes to a motor vehicle accident, their insurance companies may find themselves facing claims. Victims can file their claim with legal assistance so that they can strive for the maximum settlement. A lawyer’s network of professionals could gather proof and show the extent of the injuries. An attorney can handle all negotiations, and if a settlement cannot be reached, he or she can discuss litigation with the victim.