You’ve likely noticed law enforcement cracking down on distracted driving in the last year or so. That’s because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that in 2015 alone, 3,477 people were killed and at least 391,000 were hurt in accidents involving distracted drivers. So, it’s no surprise that the Associated Press reports the average ticket for distracted drivers in New York is $93.

If you’re one of those unfortunate drivers to get such a ticket, there is hope. By taking CA traffic school online, you can have your ticket dismissed without having points go on your driving record. Plus, it helps you hone those skills you need to be able to stay focused when behind the wheel. That’s vital for preventing the possibility of there being a “next time” as far as your distracted driving goes.

It Could Happen To You

If all you get is a ticket and the opportunity to take traffic school online, consider yourself fortunate. It’s far too easy to get distracted when you’re behind the wheel of a vehicle. New York Times reporter Eric A. Taub can attest to that. He recently used his journalistic platform to recount how the simple act of turning to speak to his wife, who was seated in the front passenger’s seat during a supposedly average day, sent him careening down a Los Angeles highway at 80 miles per hour. He also recounts his car’s front right wheel spinning toward parts unknown with the left said metal front wheel that was now rolling down the pavement sans tire, sending sparks flying with no Fourth of July or any other cause for pyrotechnic celebration in sight.

The time it took for Taub and his family’s drive to turn into a harrowing experience was four seconds. That’s twice as long as the National Highway and Safety Administration’s two-second rule, meaning that you should never take your eyes from the road when driving for more than two seconds at a time.

Past Mistakes Reoccur

Before you roll those hopefully responsible, road-watching eyes, let’s look back on a major, yet avoidable, disaster that made national headlines in the spring. Remember in March 2018 when the first self-driving Uber car in Arizona struck and killed a pedestrian? It was at night and the pedestrian had the right of way at a crosswalk. That person likely saw the car coming but presumed it would stop while they make their way across the street. After all, they were walking with their bike, which was equipped with reflectors and they’d likely come to rely on – even trust – the fact that nothing would happen. They had probably made that same journey many times before without any problems, whatsoever, and never even gave a thought to doing so that time. Safe assumption, right?
We all know the tragic reality was that this assumption was fatal to that poor cyclist. Sure, the car was still in the testing stages and obstacle-detecting mechanisms that would signal the vehicle’s brakes wasn’t working. But there was someone behind the wheel who could have stopped the vehicle. Instead, they didn’t – because they were glued to their mobile device.

It Doesn’t Have to Happen to You

This is an extreme case that shed light on the fact that today’s drivers are way too easily distracted. It doesn’t have to be a mobile device or even a severe error in judgment. The National Highway and Safety Administration simply describes distracted driving as anything that takes your attention away from driving. So, if this is an issue for you, traffic school online can help you become a focused driver.