Modern technology and convenience are now causing a huge problem for drivers everywhere. In the few seconds it takes to look at a text, computer screen or GPS, drivers enter the state now commonly called distracted driving. Distracted driving is making the news frequently, as the motorized vehicle crash rate, injuries and fatalities from this problem continue to rise. Distraction while driving includes any activity that takes your attention away from driving. This includes texting, but also many other common activities people engage in while driving.
The problem for many drivers, especially the younger and more inexperienced ones, is that the urge to communicate immediately is almost irresistible. This is why it is smartest to turn off those attractive attention-grabbing devices like cell phones and computers while you are driving. When there is no “bait” there is no “bite” and those temptations can be easily resisted.
What is most disturbing about this situation is that it is completely avoidable, if only people would turn off their phones or stop somewhere to use these devices. Driving while texting or using a computer is negligent behavior and makes drivers liable for accidents that may occur while they are distracted. It causes billions of dollars in economic damage in addition to the human injury and fatality factors.
If you are found liable for accident claims because you were behaving in a negligent manner by not giving full attention to your driving, you and your insurance company will pay a big price for that indiscretion. You may also lose your driver license and have future insurance costs skyrocket. If you are also injured or killed, you and your survivors will have expenses that are not covered by your insurance company because your behavior caused the accident.
People who text while driving believe that they will not be affected by this activity. In reality, the average time it takes to read a text is just 5 seconds. However, in just 5 seconds, a car traveling at 55 miles per hour will cover the distance of a football field, 300 feet. A lot can happen in that short time span, especially if a driver is not paying full attention to the road ahead and possible hazards. It is just like driving blindfolded for that length of time and distance.
If you are distracted even for 5 seconds, you can run a light or stop sign, not see the car ahead of you making a turn, not see a motorcyclist trying to pass you, miss your exit, enter a turn too fast or have any number of other mistakes happen that result in an injury accident. Every second counts when you are driving a motor vehicle; you do not get a chance to do-over once the error is made.
These government statistics from 2013 about distracted driving are alarming, to say the least:
A 2011 CDC study revealed that 69% of drivers (aged 18-64) in the U.S. who were surveyed reported that they had talked on a cell phone while driving during the 30 days prior to the survey. Of that same group, 31% said they had read or sent text or email messages while driving at least once.
Another disturbing trend revealed in these studies was a relationship between teens and drinking. Those who did drive while distracted were more likely also to drink and drive or ride with others who had been drinking.
Many types of activities people do while they are driving are distractions, even if the activity only takes a few seconds. The main problem is that doing these other things requires some or all of the driver’s visual, manual and cognitive attention, and this is what makes distracted driving so dangerous. Texting requires all three modes of attention, making it the worse type of distraction. Distracted driving is dangerous not only to the driver and their passengers, but also to other drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians.
Activities people engage in while they are driving a motorized vehicle include:
Many groups are compiling statistics about distracted driving. The U.S. government has a website devoted to this subject, www.distraction.gov. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) also tracks these statistics. This subject is being widely covered recently on television news programs as well. Both government studies indicate that fatalities due to distracted driving have decreased slightly over time between 2012 and 2013, about 6.7%, but injury rates are rising at a faster rate, up 9% from 2011 to 2012.
In the public domain, some organizations founded by parents of teens killed by distracted driving have publicized this problem. They also are offering some new solutions, like automatic message returns that lock down a cell phone and send out a message that the driver cannot talk at that moment because they are operating a vehicle.
The facts related to texting while driving accidents are stunning, with the highest incidence for teen drivers, but also involving people of all ages. Parents set an example for teens; if parents drive and use cell phones or text while driving, the chances are highly increased that their teen drivers will do the same things.
According to the CDC study, during the month of December 2012, over 171 billion text messages were sent or received in the United States. The CDC studied several other countries, but the US rates for texting while driving far exceeded rates for all those other countries. For drivers ages 18-54 in the U.S., over 31% admitted to reading or sending text or email messages while driving at least once in the month prior to the survey. Cell phone use was much higher, at 69% in the U.S.
Accident rates from distracted driving are not a surprise when you consider a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that at any given daylight moment across the U.S., 660,000 people are driving while using hand held electronic devices or cell phones. It appears that the fatality rates are going down slightly, but the injury rates are increasing at a faster rate. Despite ongoing educational efforts to publicize the dangers of distracted driving, people continue to be irresistibly attracted to their electronic devices like cell phones and using text/email messaging.
Another study by the Vermont Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) I reports that when drivers engage in these activities (reaching for a phone, dialing or texting) using hand-held devices, they are three times more likely to get into a crash. This report also said that talking on a cell phone did not present a problem; it is the act of dialing, reaching for the phone and looking at it that caused the increased risk.
Nationwide, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, as of January 2015, 44 states have banned text messaging for drivers. Some have a created a graduated driver license program for teens to help them learn about the dangers of distracted driving. Whether or not these laws are effective is still in the study phase. In some areas, police departments are conducting special runs to look specifically for drivers who are texting or using cell phones. They look for people who are driving with their chin down on their chest, obviously looking at a hand-held device. Tickets for these offenses can be very steep, such as $100 for a first offense, and then $200 for the second.
Of the 44 states that have already banned the use of hand-held cell phones and texting while driving, California has enacted very strong laws to combat distracted driving. As a large state with hundreds of thousands of lane miles, California continues to have very high numbers of distracted drivers.
California has taken a strong approach to this problem in their Primary and Secondary laws. They have enacted a handheld ban that applies to drivers of all ages. All cell phone use, including hands-free, is banned for bus drivers and novice drivers (novice: under age 18). Texting is also banned for all drivers.
Some states allow drivers to have cell phones, GPS units and other electronic devices if those items are not hand-held, but instead permanently installed on the vehicle. This still contributes to the problem of distracted driving, as drivers are forced to look away from the road ahead and touch the keypads or screens to use those devices.
Strong laws and strict enforcement of those laws, in conjunction with widespread publicity about the hazards of distracted driving are helping to reduce the fatality rates related to driving while distracted, but accident rates continue to grow higher. It is an on-going problem for everyone.
Learn more about Distracted Driving at these Resource websites:
If an accident or deliberate harmful behavior caused by distracted driving injured you, or death to a loved one, it is time to take action and fight back.
If you've suffered injuries in a car collision caused by another party's negligence, you might…
You've been injured on the job, and you're probably wondering, "What now?" Well, you're not…
If you've been wronged by a healthcare provider, you're probably in a very vulnerable place.…
Accidents happen, but when they occur due to someone else's negligence, you should never have…
In the aftermath of an accident, you may find yourself confused and stressed, wondering what…
When you're expecting a baby, the last thing you want to think about is the…