With all the media attention focused on texting while driving, you cannot blame people for wondering whether all the media attention is warranted. Is texting while driving really that bad? The answer is yes.
It is risky business
Texting while driving is, in fact, one of the riskiest driving behaviors that drivers engage in while behind the wheel. For example, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, if you are driving 55 mph, well under most highway speed limits, just five seconds equals driving 100 yards with your eyes shut. That is the length of a football field.
It is no wonder that the NHTSA says that this type of distracted driving has become the leading cause of car accidents in the United States. Most drivers understand this, as a AAA survey found that nearly everyone surveyed believed that texting or emailing while driving poses a serious threat to those on the road.
Is it really that common?
Yes. AAA surveyed drivers and found that almost 40% admitted they texted or emailed while driving. In 2020, there were over 50,000 car accidents caused by distracted driving, like texting.
Almost 30,000 of the car accidents resulted in injuries and 13% killed someone, according to the NHTSA.
Texting versus drinking
To drive this point home even further, studies show that texting while driving impairs your driving reaction time the same as drinking four beers in an hour. When looking at your phone, it takes almost 30 seconds to get back to the same awareness and orientation you had before looking at your phone, according to AAA.
AAA named this “the hangover effect.” It happens every time you look at your phone, even at a stop sign, stop light, heavy stop-and-go traffic, etc.
It may seem like too much, but it is not
While all the media attention may seem like too much, as AAA and the NHTSA point out, that attention is warranted. Though, if you find yourself the victim of distracted driving, remember, you can always file a personal injury lawsuit against that negligent driver.