Cell Phone Use and Car Accidents

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) includes cell phone usage on its list of common driver distractions.

2013-02-21

CONCORD, NH, February 21, 2013 (Press-News.org) The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) includes cell phone usage on its list of common driver distractions. According to the NHTSA, 18 percent of all car accidents are caused by distracted drivers. In 2010, 3,092 people were killed in car accidents caused by distracted drivers and an additional 416,000 were injured.

Cell Phone Use

The NHTSA reports that sending a text takes a driver's eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. This is the equivalent of driving blind-folded at 55 miles per hour down the length of a football field. Texting while driving increases crash risk by 23 times, but even talking on a handheld device increases crash risks as many as four times over. There is no evidence to suggest that hands-free devices lower this risk. In fact, cell phone use of all kinds reduces driving-related brain activity by 37 percent.

39 states have banned texting while driving, but only ten states have laws regarding cell phone use in general. Nearly all of these bans are primary laws, meaning an officer can pull a driver over and ticket them for cell phone use or texting without the presence of another traffic violation. Despite this, a study conducted by the NHTSA in 2012 found that 66 percent of drivers still regularly use cell phones without first pulling over.

What You Can Do

For starters, you can avoid talking on the phone or texting while you drive. This will help ensure your actions do not contribute to serious injury or death to other motorists. If you are the victim of an accident caused by a distracted driver, you need to contact a car accident lawyer as soon as possible. While there are laws protecting your rights, insurance companies are quick to offer settlements in these cases to minimize your compensation. You deserve better. Your car accident lawyer can assess the full impact your injuries will have and fight to get you every penny you are due.

If you have been injured or a loved one has been killed by a distracted driver, please visit the website of the Vermont car accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Van Dorn & Curtiss for more information on your rights at www.vandornandcurtiss.com.

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