When a person is behind the wheel of a car, there are 3 essential factors that must be in place in order to be a safe driver on the road. These 3 points are: visual, manual and cognitive. One without the other is just as dangerous as driving without using all three, placing not only your own life, but also others at risk. First is the obvious necessity when operating a motor vehicle—visual. you have to see the road if you intend on getting from destination A to B. However, when a driver is distracted, perhaps with a text message, those few moments of having their eyes off of the road could lead to a horrible accident.
Next is another obvious factor—manual. If you plan on driving from one location to another, you will have to somehow control your vehicle with a steering wheel, and this means having your hands there to accomplish this task. If you are texting behind the wheel, not only are your eyes diverted from the road, but also your ability to control the car has decreased by having one hand on your phone, and in some cases drivers will use both.
The last factor is too little considered by drivers today, and that is—cognitive. If a driver is behind the wheel and yet their mind is entirely elsewhere, it doesn't matter sometimes that they are looking forward when their thoughts are anywhere but on the road. So, if the driver is text messaging not only are their eyes off of the road, the hands preoccupied, but their focus is also in the middle of a visual conversation, making it a recipe for an accident.
Studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that every day there are 15 people who are killed in the United States because of a distracted driver. While distracted driving can include eating, drinking, other passengers, a GPS, etc., in many cases these drivers are using their cell phone; though not always.
Believe it or not, in 2009 there were a reported 5,400 fatalities as a direct result of distracted driving accidents, and close to 450,000 reported injuries that year as well. These numbers are far too high, each year they continue to steadily increase. Many people who text and drive often believe that if they are involved in a car crash that it is still considered to be an accident, and this is simply not the case. If a driver is distracted by their phone and they cause a crash, it is not an accident at all—it is a preventable car crash that is entirely their fault.
Teenage drivers are frequently the most susceptible to texting behind the wheel, and it is reported that they are distracted about a quarter of the time they are driving. Whether this comes with the young persons "no fear of life" mentality, or it is just because they don't recognize the dangers; many accidents are occurring as a result of their careless driving. Now this is not to say that adults are not responsible for accidents, either. Distracted drivers can be of all ages, and whether you are a seasoned motorist, or you just got your license; the moment you look down at your phone you are placing yourself and others at risk of injury or death.
The average text message takes approximately 4.6 seconds to type, and what many drivers don't realize is that in that time span at 55 mph, their car would have traveled the entire length of a football field. This can be extremely dangerous because during that time period the driver could miss the change of a streetlight, or the passing of another car; causing a major accident to occur. Distracted drivers are the cause of 18% of all traffic accident fatalities in our country, and until drivers realize how dangerous it truly is—accidents will continue to happen.
If you or someone you know was involved in a car accident that was possibly caused by a distracted driver, do not wait another moment before contacting a personal injury attorney in your area. Car accidents can result in severe injuries and even fatalities, and if this is the case for you or a loved one; you have the option to fight for compensation for your damages or loss. No person deserves to have to be injured or killed at the hands of a negligent and careless driver, in an accident that could have been entirely preventable. Contact a car accident attorney near you , today!