From the moment we get our licenses, it is drilled into our heads to never drink and drive. We are taught that being drunk is the most dangerous thing we can do behind the wheel. While it is true that driving while intoxicated is extremely dangerous, a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found texting while driving is actually six times more dangerous than drunk driving.
Distracted driving can take many forms, including changing the radio station, using a GPS or putting on makeup. However, texting and using a mobile device is the most common cause of accidents, increasing the chances of a car accident by 23 %.
Drunk driving lowers your response time and impairs your senses, but you are usually still concentrating on the road. Texting while driving can be more dangerous because, in addition to taking your focus and lowering your response time, it takes your eyes off the road.
Distracted driving is especially a problem for teen drivers. While alcohol-related crashes involving teens have dropped, texting-related accidents are on the rise. Approximately 20% of teenagers say they have been in a car with a drunk driver, while half said that they have been in a car with a driver who was texting.
But teens are not the only drivers who engage in distracting activities while driving. Nearly half of all adults admit to sending or reading a text while driving. Between 2005 and 2012, alcohol-related driving fatalities decreased 28 %, while the number of distracted driving-related fatalities increased 28 percent, just between 2005 and 2008.
If you or a loved one has been in a car accident involving either a drunk or distracted driver, contact a dedicated personal injury lawyer at Long & Long. We believe the responsible parties should be held accountable for their actions.
Long & Long personal injury attorneys work diligently with clients from Westmorland, Allegheny, Indiana, Jefferson and Fayette counties. Call us at 724.834.9300 or fill out this contact form to schedule a call back today.