You don\’t have any kids yourself, but you go on a ride with a friend who has children. The whole time, you\’re shocked and slightly scared. They seem like they\’re barely looking at the road.
Instead, your friend spends their time scolding the children, solving arguments, handing out snacks, picking up items that the kids drop and turning around to talk to them. (And that doesn\’t even count the time when they tried to set up an iPad at a red light so that the kids could watch a movie!)
It\’s clear to you that children are a serious distraction in the car, but just how bad is it, really? Fortunately, researchers have come across this same issue and studied it. What they found is that operating a motor vehicle with children along for the ride is up to 12 times as distracting as using your phone behind the wheel.
Think about that for a moment. With all of the talk about the dangers of texting and driving — which is warranted — it\’s still more dangerous just to be a parent with kids in the car. Twelve times more dangerous.
It appears that the worry and fear you felt while riding with your friend were not so far-fetched. You really were in danger, along with all of the other drivers who had to share the road with your friend\’s vehicle.
While you may not get distracted like this, not having kids yourself, it\’s still important to understand the risks you face from others on the road. If a distracted driver causes an accident and injures you, then you may be able to seek financial compensation for your injuries.