By: the Mike Murphy Accident Team
There is no doubt that there has been an increase in accidents with the proliferation of cell phones due to distracted driving. This had increased bodily injury insurance claims as well as property damage claims. This has a negative effect on insurance rates. The more claims paid out, the higher rates will be.
In addition, if a person is driving while distracted and gets a ticket for doing so, their insurance rates will increase as well. Insurers do not look kindly on distracted drivers. This is because if you drive distracted, you are more likely to cause an accident and, therefore, are a greater risk to the insurance company.
It is important to remember that distracted driving is not only just when you are using a cell phone while driving. Distracted driving is when the driver’s attention is focused elsewhere and not on the road in front of them. This could include changing the radio station, eating, reaching for something in the back seat, looking at and talking to passengers, or just looking somewhere that is not the road. Distracted driving reduces awareness and impacts decision-making.
DISCLAIMER: The publications on this website are intended to provide information of a general nature and not legal advice. The information contained in this publication is current to the date of the publication and may be subject to change following the publication date.
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