Texting While Driving Still Dangerous, Even with Hands-Free Technology

Although using a hands-free device while driving seems as if it would be safer than holding a cell phone, recent studies suggest that it is just as dangerous.

2013-02-15

February 15, 2013 (Press-News.org) Texting While Driving Still Dangerous, Even with Hands-Free Technology

Article provided by Law Office of Young & Nichols
Visit us at http://www.youngnichols.com

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,092 people were killed and an additional 419,000 people were injured in motor vehicle accidents involving distracted drivers in 2010, the last year for which statistics are available. Overall, distracted driving related crashes accounted for approximately 18 percent of all motor vehicle accidents that year.

Experts and lawmakers were quick to recognize that the proliferation of cell phones and the emergence of texting as a primary means of communication were to blame for the severity of the distracted driving threat. For this reason, many states enacted bans on the hand-held use of cell phones while driving. The use of hands-free devices and talk-to-text technology in cell phones and automobiles was identified as a safe, legal alternative to physically holding a phone while driving.

Hands-Free Technology Still Dangerous

Although using a hands-free device while driving seems as if it would be safer than holding a cell phone, recent studies suggest that it is just as dangerous. Last year, a team at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute tracked the performance of a group of drivers on a closed road. Half the drivers received and sent texts holding their cell phone and half received and sent texts using hands-free devices. The drivers holding their cell phones drove poorly, but so did the drivers using the hands-free devices.

Although hands-free devices allow drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road, researchers discovered that the act of composing texts required a significant amount of cognitive attention - so much so that it adversely affected drivers' ability to navigate a closed road course. Put simply, when drivers were composing texts, they were not paying attention to what was happening on the road.

The use of cell phones - with or without a hands-free device - while driving is dangerous. Unfortunately, given many people's desire to remain connected at all times, it is not likely to disappear any time soon.

Contact a Personal Injury Attorney

If you or someone you love has suffered a serious injury in a car accident due to the negligence of a distracted driver, contact an experienced personal injury attorney. A knowledgeable personal injury lawyer can assess your case and help you get the fair and adequate compensation you deserve for medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. For more information about what a personal injury attorney can do for you, contact a lawyer today.

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