Dialing is the most distracting activity for drivers young and old alike

March 25, 2014 (Press-News.org) Dialing is the most distracting activity for drivers young and old alike

Article provided by Fahrendorf, Viloria, Oliphant & Oster L.L.P.
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In recent years, there have been numerous studies about the dangers of using cellphones while driving. In many of them, the research has assumed that the most distracting aspect of using a cellphone is talking. However, a new study has found that this is not the case.

The study, recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, focused on a sample of 42 young drivers that had just received their licenses and 109 drivers with an average of 20 years of experience behind the wheel. Researchers fitted each participant's car with cameras, lane trackers, accelerometers, GPS systems and other devices to monitor their driving during the study.

Over the course of the year-long study, there were 73 car accidents involving the participants and 612 near-accidents--when the participant avoided an accident, for which he or she would be at fault, by a last-minute maneuver.

Study's findings

During the study, the drivers were observed engaging in several distracting activities while driving. Each distracting activity was noted, as was the result of the activity (i.e. whether it caused an accident or near-accident). From this data, researchers calculated how distracting the activity was for both the experienced and novice drivers.

The study found that, of all of the distracting activities engaged in by both driver groups, the only activity that significantly affected the driving performance of both groups was dialing a number on a cellphone. It was discovered that among the novice drivers, this activity was the most distracting, increasing the likelihood of an accident or near-accident by 8.32 times. This activity had less of an effect on the experienced drivers, as it only increased the risk of an adverse event by 2.49 times.

Interestingly enough, the study found that dialing a number was the only distracting activity that significantly affected the driving performance of the experienced group. Researchers theorized that experienced drivers are better able to focus on driving and are not as affected by distractions in general.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the study also found that the novice drivers were more easily distracted by a large variety of distracting activities, in addition to dialing a number. Everything from eating to reaching for objects in the car caused members of this group to be at a much greater risk of an accident or near-accident.

An attorney can help

Many states, like Nevada, have responded to the problem by banning the use of handheld cellphones while driving. Despite the law, many drivers cannot resist the allure of staying connected. This is evidenced by a recent crackdown on distracted driving in early March where the police issued 107 citations in Reno alone.

Under the law, drivers that cause an accident because they were distracted can be held liable for any injuries that result from their negligent driving. If you or a loved one have been injured by a careless driver, an experienced personal injury attorney can work to hold the driver accountable for the medical bills, lost wages and other losses suffered as a result of the collision.