Texting and driving has become a major problem throughout the country in the last few years. During the busiest times of the day, there are about 660,000 drivers looking down at their cellphones instead of the road ahead, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimations. The National Safety Council (NSC) also conducted a large scale survey in which 42% of teens admitted to texting and driving regularly. The actual percentage is assumed to be much higher as an assumedly large portion of the survey group would have instinctually lied to hide their illegal and reckless behavior.
With texting and driving becoming so prevalent, it is no surprise the catastrophic injuries and wrongful deaths it causes are also on the rise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) calculates almost 10 Americans will lose their lives due to a distracted driver each day. Another 1,000 will suffer a serious injury each day as well. Indeed, the leading cause of death among teenagers is now distracted driving.
WHY TEXTING & DRIVING IS SO DANGEROUS
You already know that cellphone use behind the wheel is hazardous, but why is it so dangerous? What about picking up a smartphone while driving makes it so likely to get into a car accident? The CDC sorts all forms of distraction into three umbrella categories: visual distractions that take the driver’s eyes off the road; manual distractions that take the driver’s hands off the wheel; and cognitive distractions that takes the driver’s attention away from the current task. Texting and driving is such a significant danger because it engages a driver in all three distraction types at one time.
HOW TO STOP TEXTING & DRIVING ACCIDENTS
Recognizing the dire situation texting and driving has caused from coast-to-coast, local, state, and federal government agencies are stepping up to look for ways to prevent distracted driving. The most direct approaches are making texting and driving illegal and instituting fines against anyone caught doing it. Spreading awareness through public safety announcements and similar campaigns is also effective.
Ultimately, though, stopping texting and driving accidents depends on everyone’s participation. We must all be aware of our own actions and commit ourselves to not picking up the cellphone behind the wheel, not even when stopped at a red light. We must also tell our friends and family to do the same. Together, we can bring the number of fatal texting and driving accidents down each year, hopefully, right to zero.
Were you hurt in a car accident caused by a texting driver? File your claim with the legal counsel of M. Austin Jackson Attorney at Law and our Augusta car accident attorneys. We have more than 70 years of collective legal experience and a track record of incredible case results. Call (706) 724-2661 today to learn more about our services and your legal options to seek compensation during a free case review.
Useful References:
- https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving
- https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/index.html
- https://www.nsc.org/Portals/0/Documents/DistractedDrivingDocuments/Teens-and-Distracted-Driving-Texting-talking-and-other-uses-of-phone-use.pdf