Some drivers have the mentality that they can safely text and drive. They feel that they only look down for a few seconds and are still alert to the driving task at hand. However, Distraction.gov, the official federal government website devoted to distracted driving, reports that “sending or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent—at 55 mph—of driving the length of an entire football field, blind.” It makes you think twice about taking your eyes off the road.
Alarming Facts & Figures Regarding Distracted Driving
As if that texting-and-driving fact wasn’t startling enough, there are many other statistics and information being reported regarding distracted driving. Below is some eye-opening data about this dangerous driving epidemic:
- Texting and driving increases your risk of a car accident by 23 times.
- Drivers using handheld devices increase their odds of an injury collision by 4 times.
- In 2010, 416,000 were hurt in distracted-driving crashes.
- The brain activity used for driving is reduced by 37 percent when the driver is using a cell phone.
- Forty percent of teens involved in a survey reported that they had been in a car with a driver who was using a cell phone in a dangerous manner.
What You Can Do
It is easy to feel far removed from these statistics when they don’t directly affect you. However, distracted driving is just too dangerous too ignore. Not only should you take action to avoid participating in this hazardous behavior, you should also encourage your family members and friends to do so as well. This is especially true if you are a parent of a teen driver.
Put that cell phone away while you are driving, and let others know that they will need to wait to hear from you.
If you have been hurt in a distracted-driving accident in Virginia, you may be able to hold the other driver liable. Keep in mind that these injury claims are not always easy to pursue, so it is in your best interests to involve a Haymarket accident lawyer if you have been seriously hurt.
For more information, contact the law firm of Dulaney, Lauer & Thomas at 540-341-0007. We would be more than happy to answer your questions and explain your options.
