Kansas transportation officials say the state has seen a 16 percent increase in fatal traffic accidents. According to the state’s transportation officials, more than 300 people have died in traffic accidents this year. Last year, the traffic safety manager of the Kansas Department of Transportation said there was 25 percent increase in traffic fatalities in 2015 with 360 traffic deaths. The traffic safety manager said this yearly increase is directly related to distracted driving and it is affecting the entire nation.
According to a traffic study reported by the Topeka Journal, 50 percent of Kansas traffic fatalities involve people who were not wearing a safety belt. Close to one-third of these accidents involved people driving while drunk or otherwise impaired and another third were people driving while distracted. The interim transportation secretary warns drivers that even looking down at one's cell phone for what seems like a second is dangerous and puts everyone else on the road at risk.
Kansas is not the only state that has seen an increase in distracted driving related accidents. With one of the weakest laws on cell phone use while driving in the nation, Missouri has its fair share of distracted driving accidents. If you’ve been injured on a Missouri roadway by a distracted driver, you may be entitled to compensation for their recklessness. Distracted driving victims are not only left with vehicle damage but many times life-altering injuries occur. It is in your best interest to contact a distracted driving attorney at Meyerkord & Kurth, LLC, for swift and successful legal action.