Smartphones have made it easy for us to stay connected at all times, but they can pose serious safety risks when it comes to texting and driving.
On any given day, approximately 660,000 drivers attempt to use their phones while behind the wheel. The numbers illustrating the dangers of texting and driving are startling, but with more education and awareness, we can each do our part in declining these frightening statistics.
Distracted Driving
Many different factors cause car accidents, but none are more deadly than distracted driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that distracted driving claimed the lives of 2,841 individuals on U.S. roads in 2018 alone.
Distracted driving is an umbrella term encompassing several behaviors, including:
- Talking or texting on a cellphone
- Eating or drinking
- Conversing with passengers
- Fiddling with navigation devices
- Changing the radio or music preferences
Distractions Caused by Texting
Texting and driving is one of the deadliest choices drivers can make. Currently, about one in every four car accidents in America are caused by this.
Texting causes three main distractions:
- Visual Distractions – If a driver is looking at their phone, they are not able to pay attention to what is going on in the road in front of them. There could be debris, wild animals, or even people in the road at any moment. If eyes are not on the road, a collision could be imminent.
- Manual Distractions – This happens when a driver physically removes their hands from the wheel to respond to a text. In this case, it is very difficult to control the vehicle when a turn approaches or if there is an object in the road.
- Mental Distractions – A mental distraction is anything that takes the driver’s mind off the road. Reading, processing, and responding to a text pulls a driver mentally away from the road. Full attention is necessary for safe driving.
Texting Statistics
Cell phones create a huge distraction to drivers and the consequences can be very deadly. Here are some eye-opening statistics provided by The NHTSA:
- When a driver takes their eyes off the road for five seconds to read a text while driving at 55 miles per hour, they are essentially driving the entire length of a football field blindfolded.
- Nearly 400,000 accidents each year are caused by texting and driving, equating to almost 25 percent of all accidents.
- A distracted driver is six times more likely to get into an accident than an impaired operator.
- Car accidents are the leading cause of death in teenagers and are responsible for six teenage deaths every single day. Many of these accidents are preventable. Reinforcing the importance of staying off of their phones while driving might be the ticket to saving their lives.
If You’ve Been Involved in a Texting and Driving Incident, Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton Can Help
Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton has spent over 25 years assisting Utah citizens after motor vehicle accidents, so we can give you the help you need after a collision caused by texting and driving. Our accident attorneys will fight for the compensation you deserve and help you handle the aftermath of your accident.
We have offices in Orem, Provo, Saratoga Springs, and West Jordan, Utah. Reach out today for your free case evaluation.