November 11, 2017 | By Greene Broillet & Wheeler
It should go without saying that distracted driving is an incredibly dangerous behavior. How could it not be seen this way? Drivers that engage in looking at their phones or sending a text while driving are actively taking their eyes and minds off the road, and instead focusing on emojis and social media. It’s blatantly obvious that it is dangerous, and yet people still do it.
In 2013, 3,154 were killed in distracted driving accidents in the United States. Another 424,000 people were injured in distracted driving accidents. Additionally, about 10 percent of all drivers under the age of 20 that were involved in fatal wrecks were distracted at the time of the crash. This problem isn’t going away — in fact, given that last piece of information, it may only be getting worse.
There was also a survey done for California drivers in 2016, and it shows the deep roots distracted driving has been able to plant in the collective driving consciousness. About 54 percent of those surveyed said they had been hit or nearly hit by another driver that was talking or texting on a phone. About 40 percent of participants admitted to making a mistake on the road while using a cell phone. 44 percent of participants also agreed that texting while driving is the most serious distraction for drivers.
All of this points to one, inescapable conclusion: distracted driving is negligent and dangerous. Using your cellphone while driving can make you liable for a car crash.