How many times have you sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic only to find that the slow-down was caused by drivers on your side of the road slowing to gawk at an accident that happened on the OTHER side of the highway? Not only is this a frustrating occurrence, but it also often leads to more accidents caused by drivers distracted by staring at the accident.Roadside events can distract drivers from keeping their eyes and attention on the road. It’s not always other accidents, but even disabled vehicles, traffic stops, signs, or even businesses that employ “eye catching” advertising on roadsides that can cause major distractions. Basically anything that causes a driver to take their attention off the road increases the potential of a car accident.Many highways have banned certain types of billboards or road signage to try and cut down on driver distractions. The biggest hazard is that drivers love to stare at whatever’s going on at the scene of an accident or anything involving flashing lights (police, ambulance, tow-truck). If you notice a roadside event, be prepared for other drivers to slow down and ogle at the scene.The reason that roadside gawking causes so many accidents is that drivers slow down to look, sometimes swerve as they’re staring off to the side or the road, or neglect to notice that the drivers in front of them may have stopped to do the same. It’s not uncommon to see smaller accidents occurring after a severe accident, just because drivers are looking at the aftermath of another accident.Our article covers many of the other types of common car accidents caused by distracted drivers. If you or a loved one has been involved in a serious car accident because of a distracted driver, you should contact a Chicago car accident attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in a car accident claim, contact us today for a free case evaluation – 312-263-1080.