Distracted Rideshare Drivers
Rideshare apps, like Lyft or Uber, allow people to request a ride, like an on-call private taxi, right from their phones. Throughout the pick-up, while en route, and during the drop-off, the driver must look at and tap things in the rideshare app. Is it really safe to have a driver relying on using an app while driving? If that app the driver was using sent text messages, it would be illegal, but if it sends Uber passenger pick-up instructions, it’s ok. How is driving while using a rideshare app not distracted driving?
What Is Distracted Driving?
“The human brain’s inability to quickly process numerous sensory cues at the same time means that something must give—and often, it’s the driver’s focus on the road,” writes Uber on their own website. ”Distracted” driving” is doing any type of activity that takes your attention off the road while driving. Here are some examples:
- Applying make-up
- Lighting a cigarette
- Sitting improperly, such as resting your chin on the steering wheel or putting your foot on the dash
- Eating a Big Mac from the drive-thru
- Checking Instagram on your phone
- Digging into your purse on the floor behind the driver’s seat
How Prevalent is Distracted Driving Today?
In a nutshell, distracted driving is another pandemic attacking our nation. Here are a few statistics:
- Every year, distracted driving leads to 3,000 fatalities, 280,000 injuries, and almost 1 million car crashes
- Over 3/4 of car wrecks involve the driver being distracted in the seconds immediately before the wreck
- About 9% of car accident fatalities have distracted driving to blame
- Statistics show that cell phone usage while driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving
Using Rideshare Apps While Driving
Uber gives drivers only 15 seconds to respond to new notifications for new passenger pick-ups. So if a rideshare driver wants to make as much money as possible (driving as many passengers as possible), he or she must respond first to each notification. It’s not hard to see how this is a recipe for disaster. Just like being glued to your rearview mirror is a distraction, so is being glued to your phone, looking for notifications.
Beverly Hills Rideshare Accident Lawyers Who Fight for You
Don’t get pushed around by the big legal teams of the rideshare apps. If you were injured by a rideshare driver, contact Jalilvand Law right away for a no-cost legal consultation.
