Cell Phone Usage While Driving

While driving a vehicle you are presented with many distractions. A study in April of 2006 found that 80% of car accidents are the result of some form of driver inattention 3 seconds prior to the crash. The most common cause of inattention was the use of a cell phone, causing 2,600 deaths and 330,000 injuries across the nation. It has even been suggested that drivers using cell phones drive worse than intoxicated drivers with blood alcohol levels of .08 or higher. Young drivers using cell phones were found to be even more dangerous, increasing their reaction times and reducing their ability to detect important traffic changes.

Text messaging, often an issue with young drivers, is proving to be deadly. Last June, a 17 year old girl swerved into oncoming traffic, hitting another vehicle head-on, killing herself and four other passengers instantly. Text messages and phone calls were found to be made moments before the accident. A 13 year old boy was killed after being involved in a accident with a man text messaging. While text messaging, you must take your eyes completely off the road, obviously a hazardous activity when traveling at any speed,

Its been recommended to use hand-free devices while driving, however that still proves to be dangerous. Its been found drivers using hands-free devices brake 18% slower and take 17% longer to regain speed.

If you or someone you care about has been a victim of an auto accident due to someone elses negligence please contact our law firm.