Many automobile accidents are caused because the driver is distracted. A driver talking on a cell phone, texting, eating, or messing with a CD player does not have his or her full attention on the road.
Cell phones are at the top of the list of driver distractions. According to the National Safety Council, people using cell phones while driving have a “significant impact” on the number of car crashes. Recent reports have focused on the dangers of sending text messages while driving.
Facts about Cell Phone Use While Driving
A few quick facts attest to the dangers of using a cell phone while driving:
- 80 percent of all automobile crashes in the United States are related to distracted drivers.
- Six percent of all vehicle crashes were in some way affected by cell phone use, according to the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis.
- According to a study from the University of Utah, drivers using cell phones have a delayed reaction time equal to that of someone with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 percent, the legal limit.
- In a recent poll by the organization Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), more than one-third of teenagers cite texting as the top distraction while driving.
- A study by Carnegie Mellon University shows that the brain activity associated with driving is decreased by 37% when drivers are using their cell phones.
Contact Us
At LaMarca Law Group, P.C., we are committed to helping accident victims receive the compensation they deserve. If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident due to a distracted driver, contact our Iowa car accident lawyers today at (515) 705-0233.