No one has to sit you down and explain to you that texting behind the wheel often results in serious accidents, but you may be surprised to learn how common it is. As motorists become more and more enmeshed with their phones, far too many fail to give their phones a rest when they get behind the wheel, and the statistics support this claim.
If a texting driver leaves you or someone you love injured in a car accident, you will need an injury law firm who is experienced, local, and provides personal representation by the top car accident attorney.
According to research conducted by ValuePenguin (culled from the most current data available and updated in April of 2021), texting behind the wheel is just as dangerous as it sounds. Consider the following:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that there are three categories of distraction, including:
In fact, texting has the singular distinction of being the only distraction that interweaves all three categories into one dynamo of a distraction that makes fatal car accidents far more likely.
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In its latest findings, the CDC shares that in 2018 alone, more than 2,800 people lost their lives in accidents involving distracted driving. Further, about 1 in five of these victims were not in a vehicle at the time, including pedestrians and bicyclists. Another estimated 400,000 people were injured in accidents caused by distracted drivers.
The CDC provides a prime example of how texting behind the wheel plays out in practical terms. Consider the following:
If this stark example does not terrify you, it should.
The CDC goes on to highlight the danger presented by teenage drivers, who are also – by definition – novice drivers. Consider the following recent findings:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also reports out on its most current statistics, and the numbers are telling. NHTSA shares that, although we’re going through distracting times in general, it makes staying focused behind that much more important. When a motorist’s attention is diverted by anything other than driving safely, he or she is dangerously distracted, and the deadliest distraction in a long list of dangerous distractions is texting. Consider NHTSA’s findings:
No matter how you crunch the numbers, distracted driving – especially texting behind the wheel – is a deadly practice that puts us all at risk.
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The Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA) reports that, while Kentucky has no ban on handheld devices, it does ban all smartphone usage for bus drivers and bans texting behind the wheel overall.
CDC shares what you can do to help you and your loved ones stay safe out there, including:
If you spot a dangerously distracted driver on the road, avoiding the vehicle on the road and alerting the authorities when it is safe to do so is the right thing to do, and it could help save a life.
If a driver who is distracted by texting causes you to be injured, you are facing challenges ahead, but the accomplished car accident attorneys at Flora Templeton Stuart Accident Injury Lawyers – proudly serving the State of Kentucky and Tennessee – have the experience, legal skill, and insight to get you maximum recovery.
At our firm we are not only local with offices close to you in Kentucky and Tennessee, we provide personal representation with the top attorney. This is crucial in obtaining maximum recovery and we have recovered millions for our injured clients over 45 years. If you need help call us 24/7, text us by chat today or call us at 888-782-9090.