Were you the victim of this holiday driving distraction?

 Posted on December 26, 2019 in Uncategorized

If you are like most other people in the Dallas area and beyond, you purchased at least one holiday gift online. Shopping from the comfort and safety of your own home has become the norm in recent years. The convenience of not having to battle the crowds, find a parking space and drive from store to store makes this form of shopping unbeatable.

However, online retailers probably never intended for people to shop their stores while driving. Unfortunately, that seemed to happen quite a bit this year, and some of it resulted in accidents. If you were the victim of an online shopper behind the wheel, you may be contemplating your legal options as the new year begins.

The breakdown

The data regarding shopping while driving may surprise you. Below are some alarming statistics regarding this particular driving distraction:

• Out of every five drivers, almost two of them shopped while driving.
• Approximately 46% of polled drivers admitted to shopping while driving during this holiday season.
• Around 45% decided to check on the status of their orders as they traveled.
• Around 40% were searching online to see if they could get an item they wanted in the store.
• Approximately 36% hunted for bargains, coupons and deals while driving.
• Around 33% were paying for their orders as they drove.

Not surprisingly, younger drivers tended to shop while driving more than older ones did. The data seems to indicate that people were more concerned about getting their shopping done than they were about driving safely.

Distracted driving continues to increase

Drivers have always dealt with distractions, but the invention of smartphones has only served to increase distracted driving. The dangers of texting and driving are well known, but what many people fail to realize is that those same dangers exist in doing just about anything on their phones while driving — including shopping.

If your holiday plans were derailed by a driver shopping on his or her phone behind the wheel, then you understand the dangers of this distraction. You also understand that your recovery could take some time. You already anticipate receiving medical bills in the mail and losing income because you can't work right now. Under these circumstances, it would be wise to consider scheduling a consultation with a personal injury attorney to gain an understanding of your rights and legal options.