The Dangers of Texting and Driving

Looking at the Statistics

Distracted driving is quickly becoming one of the biggest problems in the U.S. and it accounted for 10% of all auto collisions in 2011. While this can include everything from eating, to grooming, looking at a map, or talking on the phone, it is important to note that texting while driving is one of the biggest reasons for injuries and fatalities. Across the nation, there are approximately 600,000 people using some form of cell phone or electronic device while on the road at any given moment. In 2011, cell phone use was a contributing factor to 23% of all auto accidents.

Most people do not realize how extremely dangerous it is to look down at their phone, even to just send one quick text. On average, it takes about 5 seconds to send a text message. In this same amount of time, a car can travel the length of a football field if they are going 55mph. This is a fairly low speed for someone on the freeway, so you can only imagine how far a driver going 75-80mph can go in the matter of time it takes to send a text.

Prevalent Among Young Drivers

Even talking on the phone can be a major distraction, whether the driver is using a hand held device or not. Fifty-two percent of 18-20 years old, admit that they talk on the phone while driving, while another thirty-four percent said that they text and drive on a regular basis. Sadly, 77% of young people claim that they can safely text and drive and another 58% say that it is quite easy to text on the road. In a frightening study, teens were asked to drive and text at the same time, but what they found was that they were driving outside of their lane 10% of the time.

With statistics like this, it is no wonder that New Jersey has placed a ban on all cell phone use and text messaging while driving. So when an accident occurs because a driver was choosing to text, they are not only acting recklessly but they are deliberately breaking the law. If you or someone close to you has been the victim of an accident due to a careless driver, you do not deserve to have to deal with the aftermath all on your own.

Over 25 Years of Experience

Find the proper legal representation you need by seeking out a New Jersey car accident attorney from the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm. Our lawyer is a member of the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, which is an honor reserved for less than 1% of attorneys in the entire nation. Todd Leonard is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as Certified Civil Trial attorneys. Our New Jersey personal injury law firm has obtained millions of dollars in settlements for past clients. If you have been injured, please contact our personal injury law firm today, and we have offices conveniently located in Springfield or Morristown by calling (973) 920-7900 for a free consultation. We have a 24 hours call center and we offer services in Spanish, as well as English.