If you walk into any public venue in the United States with a lot of people, you will likely see many of them focused on their smartphones. Some embrace the advancements of these technologies and the ease at which we can now collect information, whether it’s reading a review of a restaurant, confirming directions or checking the score of a local sports team.
Others, however, feel that the rise and popularity of smartphones and tablets has many negative affects in Americans’ lives. In addition to fewer in-person social interactions, texting and driving, a form of distracted driving, has become a serious and deadly problem on roads in the United States.
According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 420,000 accident victims were wounded and 3,328 people killed as a result of distracted driving. Although driver distractions may include eating while driving, applying makeup or checking on the kids in the backseat, the severity of distracted driving from smartphones or tablets cannot be understated.
Among American teenagers, 40 percent claim to have been in a car with a driver who was distracted by their cellphone. Statistics from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute claimed that drivers who text and drive are 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident. In addition, 11 percent of drivers who survived a car accident admit they were receiving or sending texts at the time of the accident.
Undoubtedly, texting and driving is a dangerous, sometimes deadly combination. And for drivers who are involved in a car accident while texting and driving, they may be found guilty of charges stemming from the accident. It is important to understand the risks associated with texting and driving and to understand that if you or a family member was a victim of an accident caused by a distracted driver, you may be entitled to compensation.
Source: Federal Communications Commission, “The Dangers of Texting While Driving,” accessed on Oct. 13, 2015
