During January 2020, law enforcement agencies across Nevada combined forces in an attempt to hammer home the message: use a handheld electronic device while driving and you’re breaking the law.

Between January 6 and January 24, the Nevada Highway Patrol cracked down on drivers using portable tech while on the move, pushing home the memo that distractions can be lethal.

Anything that pulls your attention away from your vehicle, the highway and other road users is distracted driving, and yet people still do it. The NHP wants to get a simple point across: keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel.

Mobile phones are a major culprit. They don’t just pose one distraction: your phone can divert your attention in several ways. Even glancing at your mobile to see who sent that message means that your eyes are off the road. It only takes a split second for an accident to happen.

Once you’ve got that text message, you’re thinking about it. You’re distracted by the contents. You’re not focused on the road.

Trying to send a reply is even more dangerous: taking a hand off the wheel means that you’re no longer in complete control of the vehicle. Whatever happens now, you’re going to struggle to react quickly enough.

It’s all common sense. Most of us wouldn’t dream of acting so recklessly, and yet people still break the law and risk their own lives and the safety of others. The risk isn’t negligible either – 3,166 people were killed as a result of distracted driving in 2017, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

If you or someone you love has been hurt as a result of the actions of a distracted driver, call us now. Your Bighorn Law car accident attorney
will help you to recover compensation for injuries and financial losses if you’re the victim of negligence.

The NHP campaign might have ended, but let’s hope the message has landed. We owe it to ourselves, the people we love, and to fellow road users to stay focused, and drive and ride safe, every time.