Transforming technology can offer some aspects of safety for drivers, when used properly and safely. But despite the ability to offer aid for stranded drivers or those experiencing car problems, cell phones and other mobile and electronic devices can also create an atmosphere of distraction.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving was involved in 20 percent of injury-provoking crashes, in 2009 alone.
Busy lifestyles and excessive time spent in vehicles can push drivers to perform tasks that cannot always be safely completed, while operating a vehicle. Although text messaging, status updates and mobile web interactions have recently taken heat for posing distraction to drivers, GPS systems, grooming and even adjusting radios and music can cause distractions while driving, even if only taking attention for a couple of seconds.
The U.S. Department of Transportation describes distracted driving as, “any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger and bystander safety.”
The particular risk of testing while driving stems from the need for drivers to actually take their eyes off the road as well as their hands off the wheel, in order to read messages, and sometimes, in turn, reply to messages.
The risk of enduring a car accident is a 23 times greater when texting-while-driving than if driving without distraction, according to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), highlighting the serious danger associated with taking one’s eyes off the road, even for mere seconds.
Texting, updating a social media status or replying to a mobile email may seem harmless, since little time is invested in a short message. VTTI, estimates that the average text, distracts drivers by taking their eyes from the road for an average 4.6 seconds. Although a couple seconds may seem harmless, it takes approximately the same time to travel the length of a football field at speeds of 55 mph.
Distracted driving in Texas is currently characterized by limited bans on cell phone and mobile device use by drivers, including:
Despite the progress accompanying bans and laws in places to safeguard against distracted driving accidents in Texas, there are still actions necessary to prevent accidents tied to distracted driving, texting and mobile device use that sparks countless accidents every year.
If you or someone you love have been seriously injured or killed in an accident caused by distracted driving, call our car accident attorneys in Waco, Tempe, Killeen and throughout Texas at 254-633-2983. You can also contact us online or visit one of our 11 office locations in Texas for a free consultation today. We care. We can help.