Text messaging, also known as SMS (short message service), is on the rise from 9.8 billion messages per month in December 2005 to 110.4 billion messages per month in December 2008. With the overwhelming amount of car accidents caused by distracted driving each year, it is with certainty that an extensive amount of distraction is caused by those who text behind the wheel. Distracted driving is an epidemic on America’s roadways. We see it every day; drivers veering in & out of their lane, running a red light, narrowly missing a pedestrian, or simply not stopping in enough time – because their mind is distracted by something else, such as a cell phone.
Every single time a person takes their eyes off of the road while driving, even if it’s for a couple of seconds, it puts themselves and others in danger. Transporting others in your vehicle is a tremendous responsibility, one that many young drivers take lightly. Imagine living with the thought that your decision to pick up a cell phone while operating a vehicle caused someone to suffer a life-altering injury or death. The fight to end distracted driving starts with you!
From texting to calling to using mobile navigation systems, people can always find a way to use their mobile phones while being behind the wheel. Texting while driving is an epidemic and it must be cured before it is too late to do anything about it. Currently, there are many states in the U.S. that have laws against the use of cell phones and texting in the vehicle.
Texting While Driving Statistics
Texting and driving makes you twenty-three percent more likely to be involved in an accident. According to this study conducted by Car and Driver magazine, as well as several others by various safety institutions, using a cell phone to read or send text messages delays a driver’s reaction time as much or more than the legal limit of alcohol consumption.
Texting While Driving
- Makes you 23x more likely to crash – National Hwy Transportation Safety Admin.
- Is the same as driving blind for 5 seconds at a time – VA. Tech Transportation Institute
- Slows your brake reaction speed by 18% – HumanFactors & Ergonomics Society
Texting While Driving Causes
- 1,600,000 accidents per year – National Safety Council
- 330,000 injuries per year – Harvard Center for Risk Analysis Study
- Nearly 25% of ALL car accidents
Make the commitment to drive phone-free today. Distracted driving is a common cause of collisions in Shreveport and across the country, injuring and killing thousands of people each year. If you simply cannot resist the urge to check your text messages (or take a call) while driving, take some time to pull off of the roadway and park your vehicle before picking up your cell phone. Also remember, red lights and stop signs are not safe places to check your cell phone; find a parking lot or pull over at a safe location.
If you have any questions, or if you or a loved one have been injured in a car accident as a result of someone else’s distracted driving, call Bossier City personal injury attorneys Gordon and Gordon at 318-716-HELP.