The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that over nine people are killed on the roads every day in car accidents caused by distracted driving. The most common form of distraction behind the wheel? You guessed it—texting while driving. With so much of our lives conducted through our phones, texting while driving has become an all-too-common occurrence. But what’s the big deal? Let’s break down the dangers of texting and driving.
Cognitive Distraction
Texting takes your mind off the task at hand – driving safely. In fact, research suggests that texting can “significantly reduce your reaction time, field of vision, and peripheral vision.” That means when you’re texting while driving, you’re more likely to miss important cues like traffic lights or other cars on the road. Even if you think you are still able to drive safely when you’re distracted by your phone, research suggests that this is not true.
Physical Distraction
Not only does sending a text message take your focus away from the task at hand, but it also requires physical action as well. Taking your hands off the wheel even for a few seconds can be incredibly dangerous, as it reduces your ability to react to changes on the road quickly or accurately. Even if you think you can do both activities simultaneously without compromising safety, studies suggest otherwise – with one study showing that drivers who text are 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident than drivers who don’t text and drive.
Legal Repercussions
Texting while driving is illegal in many states now due to its inherent danger – so if you get caught behind the wheel with your phone in hand, there may be legal repercussions as well as physical ones. Depending on where you live or where you were when caught texting while driving, you could face fines or points on your license – plus potential personal injury lawsuits if someone else was injured due to an accident caused by distracted driving behavior.
A Kentuckiana Car Accident Attorney Can Help
It should go without saying that texting and driving don’t mix – but unfortunately it’s still happening too often across America today. If you have been injured due to a driver who was texting behind the wheel (or any form of distracted driving), contact an experienced auto accident attorney today for help understanding your rights and how best to move forward with legal action against those responsible for causing harm or damage through their unsafe actions behind the wheel.
With so much technology available today designed specifically for safe communication on-the-go (such as voice-to-text features built into many smartphones), there’s no excuse for risking our safety or anyone else’s by using our cell phones while we’re operating a motor vehicle!