Despite Evidence, Drivers Do Not Believe Texting And Driving Is Dangerous
Although plenty of studies have detailed the gruesome realities of texting and driving accidents and most people have been personally connected to some form of distracted driven accident in their lifetime, a study found recently that less-experienced drivers and women were much more likely to use their phone while driving despite the fact that texting behind the wheel is unsafe.
The research project was recently published in the Society for Risk Analysis and shows the people who text and drive are six times as likely to be involved in a car accident. Separation anxiety and the fear of missing out are two of the leading factors that cause people to pick up their phone and still text, meaning that they are breaking the law. The best way to avoid distracted driving accidents is to turn off the phone or use a distracted-driving app that disables notifications during the time a person is driving.
The press released associated with the study shows that phones have contributed to at least 25% of all accidents. However, the overall risk of a car crash and distracted driving had to do with what action the person behind the wheel was doing at the time, as well as what was currently physically and cognitively required of that driver. Talking on a cell phone, for example, increases the risk of a serious car accident by 2.2 times, whereas texting increases the risk by 6.1 times.
A questionnaire was used to ask more than 445 drivers in Australia about their distracted-driving behavior, their abilities, their difficulty, their driving comfort, and their perceived crash risk. People were more likely to talk on their phones than to text, and women were most likely to engage in the use of their phone while driving, as were those drivers who have less experience. If you have already been hurt in a distracted-driving crash, schedule a consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer today.
