The Dangers of Using Your Phone While Driving

Distracted drivers kill and seriously injure thousands of people each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about nine people are killed, and more than 1,000 are injured from crashes involving distracted driving. This type of driving is any activity that takes your attention away from safely operating your car while you are on the road. This can be a visual distraction, such as reading a text message or reviewing directions on your phone. It can be a manual distraction, such as taking your hands off of the wheel to tune the radio, use your phone, eat, or drink. It also can be a cognitive distraction, such as talking, daydreaming, or worrying.

Engaging in any non-driving activity can cause distractions, and will increase your chance of getting into an accident. At Begum Law Group Injury Lawyers, our car accident lawyers can help if you or someone you love has been injured in a distracted driving accident. To schedule a free case consultation of your case, call The Law Giant today at 866-523-4167, or contact us online.

The Dangers of Texting and Driving

Though distracted driving can include any activity that takes your focus away from driving, texting is especially dangerous. When you send or read a message, you typically take your eyes off the road for several seconds. For a car going 55 miles per hour, this is like driving the length of an entire football field without paying full attention to the road.

Texting while driving is especially dangerous because it is a visual, manual, and cognitive distraction; therefore, it takes your eyes, hands, and mind off of the road.

Some states ban texting while driving because of the significant danger that it presents. Nevertheless, this activity is still very prevalent. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly one-third of all U.S. drivers between 18 and 64-years-old read or send messages while driving. CDC data also supports this phenomenon, as the organization stated that in 2015, 42 percent of high school students who drove in the past 30 days reported sending or reading messages while driving.

Other Phone-Related Distractions

Using your phone will driving causes your reaction time to slow, and can make it hard to stay in your traffic lane. Using your phone also causes “inattention blindness,” which means looking at but not seeing or processing an object – such as a traffic sign – in front of you. Though people may think that hands-free devices are safe and could prevent inattention blindness, they are not. A National Safety Council study shows that this technology does not offer safety benefits because it still presents cognitive distractions.

Though many legislative efforts and publicity campaigns address the dangers of texting while driving, talking on the phone – including using hands-free devices – is also dangerous for drivers. Despite the hazards associated with phone use while operating a vehicle, about nine percent of drivers are using cell phones at any given time of day, according to the National Safety Council.

Have You Been Hurt in a Distracted Driving Accident? Call Us Today for Help

When you’re behind the wheel of a car, it’s important to ensure that your focus is on the road at all times. Though phones, radio dials, and other aspects of your car can be distracting, engaging in unfocused behavior poses a danger to all around them. At Begum Law Group Injury Lawyers, our Texas car accident lawyers can help if you have incurred injuries in a distracted driving accident.

To schedule a free, initial evaluation of your case, contact The Law Giant today at 866-523-4167.