TJC ESQ is now part of Burns & Levinson

Drivers are taking distraction to a new level this holiday

| Nov 26, 2019 | Firm News

If you go to the mall or your favorite department store, you may not be surprised to see people shopping. After all, it is the season when holiday shoppers scurry to make their gift purchases, and it seems as if shoppers are in more of a hurry each year.

Where you may not expect to find a shopper is in the driver’s seat of the car that passes you on the highway as you travel. However, new research shows that this is where many Americans are making their holiday purchases. As risky as it may seem to read and send a text while driving, you can imagine how deadly it can be to make online purchases from behind the wheel of a moving vehicle.

They’re doing what?

The latest Harris Poll shows that more people are shopping online while driving than ever before. In fact, 39% of those surveyed admitted to using their mobile devices to shop as they drove. That is nearly two out of every five people in the country. Many spent time browsing for gifts, checking their order status, looking for deals or searching for the availability of an item. About one third made purchases while driving.

Other conditions may make this scene even more frightening. For example, a driver who has just gotten off work may already be tired and distracted, harried with holiday obligations and rushing to get home. Add to that the distraction of making an online purchase to cross one more item off the holiday list, and you may quickly become the victim of a catastrophic accident. In the past five years or so, almost 20,000 people have died in crashes where a driver was distracted.

Is it worth it?

Drivers may justify this reckless action by thinking about the savings, the convenience or other factors. They may not consider the safety of you, your family and others on the Connecticut highways. Unfortunately, too many drivers focus on their own instant gratification, making the roads a very dangerous place this shopping season.

You have certainly heard of the dangers of distracted driving, but this may raise many emotions, especially if you or a loved one recently suffered injuries in an accident with a distracted driver. You may wish to obtain the services of an attorney with the resources to investigate whether the driver of the other vehicle was shopping online at the time of the accident. This could be an important factor in your pursuit of fair compensation for your injuries.

Archives

Sad Child
American Association For Justice
Pound Civil Justice Institute Member Fellow
NewsWeek Leaders in Showcase Family Law 2011
Super Lawyers Timothy J. Conlon Selected in 2020
AV Preeminent
The Best Lawyers In America