Over the past decade, texting and driving has become the public’s number-one safety hazard, and it’s something most people have done. Maybe you are on your way to an important business meeting and you receive a text or email in regards to the meeting at hand, and you decide to sneak a quick peek. That quick peek could result in a fatal car crash. Texting and driving is especially dangerous among teenagers. It has surpassed drinking and driving as the number-one cause of accidents on the road.
Why is texting and driving more dangerous than drinking and driving?
Drivers who are texting while behind the wheel have a 23% higher chance of causing a crash. That is the equivalent of consuming four beers and getting behind the wheel of a car. Here’s a quick look at some statistics for both:
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Drunk Driving –
According to the NHTSA 2011 Traffic Safety Facts, laws passed by all 50 states and the District of Columbia lowering the threshold of illegal driving to .08 blood alcohol content have resulted in a decrease in drunk driving fatalities. In 2002, there were 12,405 drunk driving fatalities. That number dropped to 9,296 in 2011 – a 25% decrease.
While drunk driving fatalities have decreased accidents caused while texting and driving have been on the increase.
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Texting and Driving –
Distracted driving resulted in approximately 2,600 deaths in 2002. The number of distracted driving accidents increased by 22% in 2011 and resulted in 3,331 fatalities. Texting while driving is a leading cause of distracted driving. However, the NHTSA reports that texting while driving is currently responsible for 1.6 million accidents every year – about 25% of all driving accidents.
The underlying danger of texting while driving is taking your eyes off the road. The text message or email you received is not more important that your life or someone else’s.
Contact Bryan Caulfield | A Tampa Vehicle Accident Attorney
If you have been involved in a distracted driving accident, or if your loved one suffered a wrongful death due to another party’s negligence behind the wheel, please contact Bryan Caulfield. He is a knowledgable Tampa Car Wreck Lawyer who can help you recover damages for your losses. Call 1-800-535-2529.