Statistics on Texting While Driving
Most people try to manage the complexity of their lives by multitasking. Whether eating while driving or sending a text at a stoplight, drivers are trying to complete multiple tasks during a time where their sole focus should be on the road. Continue reading to learn more about the dangers of distracted driving. General Information on Distracted Driving Distracted driving is any activity that diverts attention from driving, which includes texting, talking on the phone, eating, drinking, fiddling with your navigation system, among other tasks. Texting is the most hazardous distraction. Even if you’re only texting for five seconds, it’s the equivalent of driving through a football field with your eyes closed. In 2018, approximately 3,000 people were killed in car accidents involving distracted drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Discover more distracted driving statistics below. Why is Texting While Driving Dangerous? You may think texting while driving isn’t a big deal because of how quick it is, but this activity incorporates the three types of distracted driving: Visual: Taking your eyes off the road Manual: Taking your hands off the wheel Cognitive: Taking your mind off of driving Your eyes are on your phone, so they can’t be on the road. Your hands are on your phone, so they can’t be on your wheel. Your mind is on the text you’re replying to, so you’re not paying attention to your surroundings. Distracted Driving Statistics Here’s a list of distracted driving statistics as it pertains to cell phone usage provided by the National Safety Council (NSC): Cell Phone use while driving results in over 1.7 million crashes every year. Approximately 400,000 injuries occur each year from accidents caused by texting and driving. One out of every four accidents in the U.S. is caused by texting behind the wheel. Texting while driving is six times more likely to result in an accident than drunk driving. Responding to a text takes approximately ten seconds. It only takes one second to end up in a collision. Of all cell phone related tasks, texting is the most dangerous one. Ninety-four percent of Americans support banning this practice at the federal level. Seventy-four percent of drivers support a nationwide ban on hand-held cell phone usage. Teen Distracted Driving Statistics Here are distracted driving statistics provided by the NSC as it relates to teenagers: Twenty-one percent of teen drivers involved in deadly collisions were distracted by their cell phones. Ninety-four percent of teen drivers acknowledge the dangers of texting while driving, but 35 percent admitted to doing it anyway. Teenagers are four times more likely than adults to get into a car crash when talking or texting. A teenager with one passenger doubles their risk of getting into a fatal car accident. The risk becomes five times more likely if they have multiple passengers. Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton is Here for You Unfortunately, even if you refuse to text and drive, other drivers aren’t as considerate. If you were recently involved in a car accident that left you injured, you might be eligible for compensation. The experienced personal injury attorneys at Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton can hold the negligent driver accountable in court. Schedule your free case evaluation today.
Half of the Nation’s High School Seniors Admit To Texting While Driving
If you are the parent of a teenager, you are well aware of the amount of time that teens spend sending text messages to each other. In fact, the Pew Research Center reports that on any given day, the average teenager will send and receive approximately 100 text messages. Unfortunately, this does not stop when teens get behind the wheel of a car. A recent survey released by the Centers for Disease Control indicates that 58 percent of high school seniors read and send text messages, as well as emails, while driving. Additionally, nearly 43 percent of high school juniors admit to texting while driving. The Dangers of Texting While Driving According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are three main categories for distractions that occur when motorists are behind the wheel – visual distractions, manual distractions and cognitive distractions. What makes texting while driving particularly dangerous is that it involves all three types of distractions: In order to send and read texts, drivers take their eyes off the road, their hands off the steering wheel and their minds off the task of driving. Due to the inattention to their driving, drivers who text behind the wheel are 23 times more likely to get into a car accident than those who are not distracted, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. As a result, about 6,000 people die and another 500,000 are injured in car crashes that involve distracted driving every year. Texting is not the only dangerous distraction that motorists should avoid. Other kinds of distractions that may contribute to car accidents include talking on a cell phone or other handheld device, changing the radio station, eating, using a GPS system or grooming. Get Legal Help Have you been injured by a driver who was distracted behind the wheel? If so, contact an experienced personal injury attorney who can advise you of your rights. You may be entitled to payment of your medical expenses associated with the accident, as well as compensation for pain and suffering.