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Why rubbernecking is dangerous

On Behalf of | Jun 2, 2021 | Motor Vehicle Accidents |

Getting distracted while driving is extremely dangerous and one of the leading causes of car accidents in New York. Many people associate distracted driving with things like texting or talking with passengers, but people don’t realize that rubbernecking also counts as distracted driving. Here is some information about rubbernecking and why it is imperative that you avoid doing it.

What is rubbernecking?

Rubbernecking is when you take your eyes off the road to observe a car accident as you drive by. While the term rubbernecking is usually used to refer to looking at an accident, it can apply to anything outside your car that takes your attention away from the road for more than a moment.

Why it is dangerous

By taking your eyes off of the road, you are drastically increasing your chances of ending up in an accident. Things happen very fast on the road, so shifting your attention to a distracting sight for a few seconds can cause you to accidentally slam into the back of a car driving in front of you. Rubbernecking also typically causes drivers to slow down; suddenly hitting on your brakes can cause a rear-end accident with the person driving behind you.

You should never let anything distract you when you are driving. An easily preventable accident can end up being a fatal one just because a driver took their eyes off the road for a split second. If someone causes an accident due to rubbernecking, they would almost certainly be at fault and need to compensate the victims.

It’s important that you always drive safely and drive defensively. Rubbernecking can be just as disastrous as texting and driving, so it is your duty to avoid both whenever you are operating a motor vehicle.

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