The mobile workforce in Oklahoma has become constantly connected via smartphone, and this may be the reason why it sees such high auto accident rates in recent years. Motus, the vehicle management and reimbursement platform, has made a link between the two trends in its 2018 Distracted Driving Report.
Motus found that as smartphone ownership among mobile workers went up from 55 to 77 percent between 2013 and 2017, so the number of car crashes they were involved in went up from 5.7 million to 6.4 million. In addition, it found that while smartphone use was most prevalent during mobile workers’ morning and evening commutes, the peak time was between 2pm and 4pm.
Mobile workers take 49 percent trips behind the wheel than any other type of employee in the U.S. Every year, they drive a total of 1,200 miles in a distracted frame of mind. Phone distraction may not be the only factor, but it is the dominant one; in 2017, it resulted in Americans driving distracted for 107 billion miles.
Grey fleet drivers, or those who use a personal vehicle for business purposes, are costing their employers about $4,400 in legal and medical expenses, property damage and lost productivity for every crash they get in. In 2017 alone, they missed 1.65 million work days because of accidents.
Using the phone, eating, adjusting the radio and even conversing with passengers can distract drivers from the road. When distracted driving is a factor in a car accident, the other side may be eligible for damages. Victims will have their damages lowered for any contributory negligence, so it might be helpful to have a lawyer striving for the maximum possible settlement on victims’ behalf. The lawyer could hire medical experts to show that the reported injuries are accident-related. He or she might then negotiate, litigating as a last resort.