The majority of us are guilty of texting and driving. Although we may think that we are all capable of doing it while still driving safely, texting and driving statistics show very serious injuries and accidents that could result. On any given day, about 660,000 drivers are attempting to use their phones while driving behind the wheel.
With the latest advancements of smartphones, many people stay connected around the world, but there are also several negative repercussions that come with the use of smartphones. Although many do stay connected, many find themselves completely glued to the screen of their phones while engaging in necessary things such as driving and while walking on the streets. Many current cars are now trying to combat texting and driving by advocating for Bluetooth programs that read texts to you. But, until this becomes a common feature in every car, texting while driving still remains the number one cause of car accidents.
Texting driving poses one of the most dangerous cocktails that cause a car accident. With so many states now trying to combat texting and driving by passing very detailed traffic laws, texting and driving is still one of the most leading causes for car accident fatalities.
What is Distracted Driving?
Distracted driving includes activities that divert a driver’s attention away from driving. This includes actions like talking or texting on your phone and eating and drinking. There are also other activities that are considered distracted driving, such as talking to other passengers. Out of all these actions, texting while driving is the number one cause for accidents and fatalities. A driver needs to have 100% of their attention on the road, even if they believe there are no other cars on the road. Cell phones can also be especially deadly for teen drivers who do not have much experience and strong driving skills in the first place.
What is Texting While Driving?
Texting while driving occurs when the driver of the vehicle uses a mobile device. This diverts their attention away from the road and onto their phone. There are three types of ways someone could be texting while driving.
- Manual distractions: requires you to physically type in text using your fingers. This manual distraction causes your hands to be preoccupied.
- Visual distraction: texting requires you to read messages, oftentimes on a smaller screen. You then place your full visual attention to the phone rather than to the road.
- Cognitive distraction: since Typing a text requires cognitive memory to form sentences, this can take your mind off the road.
Common accidents resulting from texting while driving
- Departing from the lane
- Colliding with pedestrians
- Driving over a curb
Who is Most Likely to Text and Drive?
Those between the ages of 20 to 29 years of age or more likely to text and drive. 37% of drivers who use cell phones belong to the 20 to 29 age range. The second most common is the age range between 30 to 39 years old with 21% admitting that they use cell phones while driving.
Texting and Driving Death Statistics
- According to the National Safety Council, texting and driving has led to 1.6 million crashes each year.
- 94% of drivers support a ban on texting while driving
- distracted driving has claimed about 3,142 lives in the year of 2019. This was a 10% increase from the year 2018. Experts suggest that this number will constantly go up, despite the fact that there were stay at home orders in 2020 due to covid-19.
- For every 100 drivers, 20 of them are distracted while driving.
- You are more likely to get into an accident while texting and driving than you are not texting and driving.
- 35% of teenagers admit to texting and driving on the road.
- Texting has the same effect on your driving reaction as if you had just consumed four beers
- Texting or emailing while driving was more common among older teens than younger teens
- The average time your eyes are off the road while texting and driving are around 5 seconds
What you can do to prevent distracted driving
- Do not take your eyes off the road. Although many may think that they could take their eyes off the road just for one second, the one second could up taking someone’s entire life
- If you are going to make a call, try to use hands free Bluetooth as much as possible.
- If you are in a car where the driver is texting and driving, make sure to let them know that you feel uncomfortable
- Download apps on your phone that limit screen time and prevent using your phone while driving
Texting and Driving Real World Example
In 2020, an 18 year old was driving her car and responded to her mother when she hit a pedestrian. The Pedestrian was in critical condition. The pedestrian suffered traumatic brain injury and it affected her cognitive ability. The pedestrian also lost Vision in one of her eyes. Because of one simple text the driver had sent behind the wheel, it cost someone the cognitive ability. This is a very common instance.
How Many People in the United States Have Died from Distracted Driving?
The Center for Disease Control and prevention has released that for each day in the United States, nine people are killed and more than a thousand people are injured due to texting and driving. However, many organizations such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and National Safety Council have stated that this number should be even higher because not many accidents are gone reported. Many accidents do not result in police reports. Other accidents even label their cause as “other” rather than texting while driving.
Texting and Driving Statistics in California
- 47% of Californians believe that texting while driving is a serious distraction
- 58% of Californians admitted that they had been hit by driver who was texting and driving
- 51% of Californians admitted that they made a mistake while texting and driving
- 10% of retailers in California are accounted for by texting and driving
California vehicle code 23123.5 states: A person shall not drive a motor vehicle while using an electronic wireless communications device to write, send, or read a text-based communication, unless the electronic wireless communications device is specifically designed and configured to allow a voice-operated and hands-free operation to dictate, send, or listen to text-based communication, and it is used in that manner while driving.
Contact a Texting-and-Driving Attorney Today
If you or a loved one have been involved in an accident where the driver was texting, contact our Los Angeles attorneys. We have been assisting our clients for years and are well-versed in Los Angeles traffic laws to get our clients maximum compensation for their injuries. Contact our attorneys for a free consultation today.
***Disclaimer: This page is created by Heidari Law Group for educational purposes. This article provides a general understanding of the law. It does not provide specific advice. By using this site and reading through this page, there is no attorney-client relationship created between you and any member of Heidari Law. Further, due to the constant change of the law, some parts of the information above may no longer be good law.