Every driver should realize that distractions cause accidents and injuries. However, more than half of drivers admit to making phone calls while driving, and 45 percent to sending or reading a text. So, knowing that cell phone use while driving is dangerous doesn’t seem to stop many of us from doing it. Indeed, a study also found that among Millennial and Gen Z drivers, the following occurred during driving:
- Participation in video chat (32 percent)
- Viewing or posting to social media (28 percent)
- Playing video games or using apps (27 percent)
- Video streaming (24 percent)
Researchers found seven in ten drivers are distracted at least once a day, most frequently on Fridays between 4 and 7 p.m. at an average speed of 45 mph.
Even more frightening, one in four drivers uses their cell phone five times an hour. These chronically distracted drivers are 70 percent more likely to be in a motor vehicle collision than the average driver. Moreover, Arity stated that 11 percent of all collisions happen within one minute of the driver using a cell phone.
Speeding, alcohol, and distracted driving are the big three motor vehicle accidents causes today. Although sources may not agree about the order of placement for those three, there is pretty universal agreement that distracted driving is growing faster than speeding or drunk driving. Sadly, a pedestrian dies every two hours and suffers an injury every seven minutes in the US due to distracted driving. If you or a loved one have become one of these statistics, you should contact a distracted driving accident lawyer.
Distracted Driving Facts
Most of us are now aware that distracted driving is one of the fastest-growing causes of motor vehicle accidents in the United States. Automotive Fleet Magazine performed a study showing that, on average, distracted drivers are generally only aware of half the vehicles on the road with them.
Distracted driving occurs when drivers engage in any activity that takes their attention away from the road and the act of driving. Not just texting, distracted driving includes eating, looking in the back seat, and talking to other passengers or on the phone, all of which reduce your focus on the act of driving. Thousands die each year due to distracted driving.
Texting is probably the worst and most dangerous, tripling the risk of an accident. A 2019 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety report found that cell phone use during driving increased by nearly 60 percent since its prior study. The study also found that fatal crash risk is two-thirds higher when a driver manipulates a cell phone. Sending or reading a text takes your attention away from the road for five seconds; at 55 mph, that’s the length of a football field, more than enough time to strike another vehicle or pedestrian.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), 3,142 persons died as a result of distracted driving in 2020. Many experts believe the actual number may be closer to 20,000 per year. The Institute for Safer Trucking says there were 248 truck drivers involved in fatal accidents in 2020, killing 277 individuals. They also note that distracted truck driver fatal accidents have increased by 27 percent over the past decade, a truly shocking statistic.
California has focused its attention on drivers between the ages of 16 and 24. The state believes that the youngest and least experienced drivers and most at risk from distracted driving. The state’s material emphasizes that the danger does not arise from texting alone. Instead, using apps, selecting music or videos, checking social media, and looking at maps or photos are also risky behaviors. Further, they are all illegal while driving.
The state also reminds drivers that other distractions such as eating, grooming, reading, or talking with passengers are also dangerous and can lead to a reckless driving charge added to a ticket.
The Law
Not only is distracted driving dangerous, but it is also, in many of its forms, illegal in nearly all states. Currently, for example, 48 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and various US territories, ban texting while driving. (Missouri and Montana are the missing states.). Other common bans include the use of handheld phones while driving. Moreover, some distractions, while not explicitly illegal, do make sense to avoid. No one should be applying make-up or trying to watch a film while driving, yet, people do.
California Law
In California, drivers may not use a cell phone or similar electronic device while holding it in their hands. Drivers may only use electronic communication devices which the driver can use hands-free, like a speaker phone. You may never use an electronic communication device while holding it and driving. Drivers under the age of 18 may not use a cell phone for any purpose or any kind while driving.
Your Responsibility
So, what can you do? Well, first of all, don’t be a distracted driver. Make sure you have a hands-free way to use your cell phone while driving and resist the temptation to read and respond to texts. If you’re expecting something critical, pull off the road if you think it has arrived. Don’t eat and drive; finish your personal grooming before getting behind the wheel.
Insurance and Distracted Driving
If your distracted driving was serious enough to result in a traffic violation or to be noted in an accident report, your insurance rates will almost undoubtedly be adversely affected. Some studies show an average premium increase of more than 40 percent.
Seek Help from San Francisco Distracted Driving Attorneys
And, if you or a loved one suffers an injury in what you believe to be a distracted driver accident in San Francisco, you should contact an experienced distracted driving attorney. Contact the Cartwright Law firm for an initial no-cost, no-obligation consultation and case evaluation. Let us help you recover financially while you handle the emotional and physical recovery. We have assisted clients throughout northern California and the Bay Area and can also assist you through the challenging recovery process.
Reference: Facts About Distracted Driving
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