Distractions can lead to cross-border personal injury claims

Road accident statistics show that one in four fatal car accidents in Canada involved driver distractions. While crashes in British Columbia could lead to complicated lawsuits and insurance claims, distracted driving accidents that happen during trips south of the border could prove to be even more challenging to navigate. Cross-border personal injury claims require knowledge and experience in dealing with both countries’ laws and insurance providers.

Driving a motor vehicle requires the driver to divide his or her attention among visual and auditory activities as well as manual and cognitive tasks. Drivers must scan the road ahead and behind and look out for potential risks entering from either side. Road signs, brake lights of vehicles ahead and a host of other environmental cues must be noticed and processed to determine danger, and drivers must then take the necessary manual actions to avoid accidents.

Taking one’s eyes off the road for two seconds while travelling at 100 k/hr means blind driving for a distance equal to the length of a hockey rink. When it comes controlling their vehicles, drivers often steer in the direction of where they reach for a dropped object or something else. Lastly, taking their minds off driving causes cognitive distractions that reduce the field of view.

Driving requires 100% focus, concentration and alertness. Adding even one distraction to the visual, cognitive and manual requirements for safe driving will require the driver to stop focusing on driving. Even a few seconds of distraction can have devastating consequences. When distractions cause other drivers to be negligent, car accident victims might suffer financial, physical and emotional damages. If it happens on Seattle’s side of the border, British Columbia residents might have to deal with cross-border personal injury claims.