The scope of the distracted driving dilemma is only recently becoming clear. Truthfully, the biggest change in the last few years has been the “smart phone” which has Internet access and allows checking e-mail, surfing the web and sending text messages at will.
As a Texas personal injury attorney every week I see the aftermath of the driver who was distracted and caused an accident. Recently, some credible studies have concluded that the risks of texting while driving are almost as great as a driver driving drunk.
The US Government Website for distracted driving provides some very scary statistics about the realities of texting and driving. Basically, the distraction falls in three separate categories.
MANUAL – taking your hands off the wheel.
VISUAL – taking her eyes off the highway.
MENTAL – taking your mind off your driving responsibilities.
The scope of the distracted driving dilemma is only recently becoming clear. Truthfully, the biggest change in the last few years has been the “smart phone” which has Internet access and allows checking e-mail, surfing the web and sending text messages at will.
Prior to the smart phone, distracted driving was still a problem but not as acute as the Internet age was not yet upon us. Distractions in the past were typically children in the car, the driver doing something other than driving and did not involve texting or e-mail. The problem has been at epidemic levels because of the connected society we have become by virtue of the wireless Internet.
Many people are yet to become aware of the real dangers of texting and driving. Obviously the biggest danger is the younger inexperienced drivers who are most at risk for distracted driving accident. Studies suggest that over 16% of all distracted driving crashes involve teen drivers.
Sending more receiving a text message has proven to be the most serious of the distracted driving causes. The problem is compounded by the compulsion to immediately answer or respond to a text message. One study shows that sending or receiving a text message takes approximately 5 seconds and that equals several car lengths of safety. On the highway that can prove fatal in a heartbeat.
The biggest question is why the government does not outlaw texting and driving for all drivers? The answer is that passenger cars are regulated by individual states and not by the federal government.
Texas, for example, outlaws texting for younger drivers and during school zones but failed to pass a comprehensive distracted driving law to protect Texas families.
Other states that are more safety oriented have outlawed texting for all drivers and also require hands-free device for cell phone talk.
The solution to the United States distracted driving problem will be on multiple fronts. The first being education of the public with an emphasis toward young drivers. The second will be implementation of traffic laws, which outlaw texting while driving for all drivers and require hands-free operation of the cellular telephone while driving. And finally, raising awareness of the scope of the problem to our elected leaders.
Preventing accidents is always better than dealing with the aftermath of an accident that should not have occurred.
