In the United States, approximately 2.5 million people are involved in car accendents each year. Of those, 1.6 million involve the use of a cellphone. That’s 64% of all traffic accidents in the US. Driving an automobile while distracted by your cellphone is inherently dangerous, and if you cause an accident while using a cellphone you will be held liable for any and all damages that occur. Here are some startling statistics about the dangers of texting and driving:
- 1 out of 4 car accidents in the US are caused by texting while driving.
While 3 in 5 accidents in the US are caused by drivers distracted with a cellphone, 1 in 4 are directly attributed to texting while driving.
- On average, the act of reading a text message distracts a driver for five seconds.
The average speed limit in the US is 55 miles per hour. In the five seconds that reading a text message takes the driver’s eyes off the road, while traveling at 55 MPH, the driver’s eyes are diverted from the road for the equivalent length of a football field.
- Each year, 330,000 accidents that result in serious injury are cause by someone texting while driving.
78% of all distracted driving accidents involve texting while driving. This makes texting while driving the most dangerous form of distracted driving.
- Every day, 11 teens die from accidents involving texting while driving.
It’s not worth it. Texting while driving is dangerous and puts your life, your passengers’ lives, and other motorists’ and pedestrians’ lives in danger. If you absolutely need to check or respond to a text while you are driving, do the responsible thing, and pull over.
If you were injured in an accident involving a negligent driver, it’s a good idea to contact a personal injury attorney. A personal injury attorney will be able to acquire evidence that might not be available to you and will understand how to navigate the system in a way that benefits you and gets you the best possible outcome. For more information, contact The Pottenger Law Firm at (816) 531-6006 or visit http://www.pottengerlaw.com/ today for a free consultation.
Sources:
http://www.distraction.gov/stats-research-laws/facts-and-statistics.html
http://www.textinganddrivingsafety.com/texting-and-driving-stats
