Our Ft. Lauderdale Car Accident Lawyers Want You To Understand The Dangers Of Texting And Driving.
Multitasking has become a way of life like never before. We see it everywhere. Some read their tablets and send emails while they are on treadmills. Others are hearing audiobooks while they are doing a hands-on project or stuck in traffic – unlike the old days when you had to actually sit and read the words out of a book.
It truly is a very exciting time. Society is moving at an incredibly fast pace and technology is an amazing tool that just keeps making the world easier and more efficient. We are able to communicate with each other at any point in any time in several ways.
Where this becomes a problem is when a person starts multitasking behind the wheel of a car. The truth is that anything we do that takes our attention off the road can increase the risk of a car accident. Reaching for a device can increase the chance of an accident by 1.4 times. Talking or listening can increase the chance of an accident by 1.3 times. Dialing a phone makes you 2.8 times more likely to have an accident.
Then there are the real dangers. Doing tasks or communicating in a way that you take your eyes completely off the road. The most common tasks while driving with eyes off the road is text messaging. A person is 23 times more likely to get involved in a car accident if they text message while driving.
But it’s only 5 seconds
Many feel that the way they text is safe and they keep a good amount of attention on the road, with their eyes off the road for just a few seconds. What can happen in just 5 seconds? A lot considering that at 55 MPH you can travel 300 feet (the length of a football field).
Young Drivers
Out of car accidents involving drivers between the ages of 18 and 20 years old, 13% of them admit that they were texting and driving. This problem may only get worse considering 82% of kids between the ages of 16-17 years old have a cellphone. These kids are accustomed to texting on their phones and might be tempted do continue doing the same when they receive their license and become comfortable behind the wheel.
It’s Not Just a Kid Problem
Many adults are guilty of texting and driving as well. Studies show that 27% of adults receive and send text messages while driving. Parents need to be extra careful with this because kids are watching. In fact, 48% or kids between the ages of 12 – 17 years old have seen their parents drive and text.
In 2011, 23% of car accidents involved a cellphone – that’s 1.3 million accidents. A text can wait.
The Ft. Lauderdale car accident attorneys of Madalon Law help accident victims throughout the state of Florida and offer a free consultation. Please contact our firm if you have any questions and we will gladly answer them for you.