Distracted driving occurs when a driver operates a vehicle while also attempting to do something else, such as texting, making phone calls, changing the radio station, eating, talking to other passengers, or applying makeup. There are three types of distracted driving: visual, manual, and cognitive. If you are visually distracted, it means your eyes are off of the road, whereas manual distraction indicates that your hands are off of the steering wheel. Finally, cognitive distraction means that your mind is not focused on other things besides the road in front of you. By now, you should know about the potential dangers associated with distracted driving. But, just how dangerous is it? Take a look at these surprising distracted driving statistics:
Length of Time
If you send a text message while driving, your eyes will be off of the road for an average of five seconds. This may not seem like much time at all until you realize that a car traveling at 55 mph can cover the length of a football field within just five seconds. Plus, even though your eyes are only off of the road for five seconds, it’s estimated that you will remain distracted for up to 27 seconds even after you put your phone down.
Texting
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), using a cell phone while driving causes over 1.6 million crashes every year in the U.S. Texting is the most common type of distraction. In fact, one of out every four traffic accidents is caused by drivers who were texting at the time of the collision. This has led researchers to determine that texting while driving is far more dangerous than driving while intoxicated.
Teens & Cell Phones
Distracted driving is prevalent among drivers of all ages, but teens are the biggest offenders. Teens are aware that texting is dangerous, but that doesn’t stop them from doing it. Despite 94% of teens acknowledging that texting while driving is dangerous, over one-third of them admit to doing it anyways.
Teens & Other Distractions
Cell phones aren’t the only distractions that teens face on the road. Teens that have other passengers in the car are far more likely to get into an accident than teens that are by themselves. If a teen has one passenger, he becomes twice as likely to get into a fatal accident. But with two or more passengers, the teen becomes nearly five times as likely to get into a fatal crash.
Have you been injured by a distracted driver? If so, get in touch with the personal injury attorneys at Reisch Law Firm today. We can help you prove the driver was acting negligently at the time of the accident so you can recover the compensation you deserve.. Schedule a free consultation today by calling 303-291-0555 or filling out this online form.
