Texting While Driving is Killing Too Many People

Texting While Driving is Killing Too Many People
Texting While Driving is Killing Too Many People

There are more than 1.3 million vehicle accidents in the USA every year. To make things worse, the number one reason for road accidents now is texting while driving. This is the worst reason in the world for someone to lose their life. Each year, thousands of people die in road accidents. Collision numbers are increasing with the availability of cell phones on the road, only making the situation worse.

All it takes to send a text is a small movement of the finger and a quick flicker of the eyes down to your phone. However, that can be more than enough to change the course of a person life forever. People have become wrecked, injured, and even killed due to this dangerous activity, texting while driving. High speeds plus texting on the road is a very deadly equation indeed.

The Problem with Cell Phones on the Road

People are using their phones more and more frequently. And in this age of technology in which we all live, it can be difficult to not have your phone on you at all times. Everything is seemingly based around smartphones, helping to improve certain aspects of our lives and allow better communication. The average American spends several hours per day using some sort of technology.

But now, people are so used to having their phones on them at all times, that they start to drive while using them. It has become a habit for most, to the point where they don’t realize they’re doing it. It is humanly impossible to be able to focus on the phone and the road at the same time, causing many dangers to the driver and other motorists.

Mind-Numbing Statistics About Phones and Accidents

There are almost 3 million people in the USA alone who are involved in car accidents per year. The number of accidents is so mind-blowing that, if the current rate of death is not slowed, it will have a dramatic effect on life expectancy in the U.S.

Over 1.6 million of these 3 million accidents involved the use of a phone. This may shed some hard light on the reality of how dangerous it is to drive and use your phone. According to DirectAutoInsurance.org insurance rates have also been greatly impacted. Auto insurance companies have been forced to increase rates to deal with the surge in texting while driving accidents.

Almost 500,000 people are injured in car crashes annually, in which the driver was distracted or not paying attention to the road. Over 330,000 accidents that lead to severe injuries were because a driver was texting while driving. One in every four automobile accidents in the USA is directly caused because one or more of the drivers were texting behind the wheel.

Texting While Driving Causes More Accidents Than Drunk Driving

You are 6 times more likely to get into an accident due to texting than to drunk driving. Neither should ever be condoned, but this perspective can really open the eyes of the American people. Eleven teenagers die daily due to texting and driving.

Teenage motorists are 400% more likely to get into a texting-while-driving accident than adults. Over one-fourth of teens admit to responding to text messages while driving.

10% of adult drivers admit they have entire text conversations while driving. Almost 100% of Americans own a cell phone and use it regularly to text and call people. Over half of these people talk on the phone while driving, while slightly lower, 32% text on the road. Texting on the phone makes road reaction times worse than the average 70-year-old senior citizen driver.

When asked why teens text and drive, their responses are heartbreaking: It’s because they see adults doing it. If adults show their actions as okay and normalized, kids will start making the same fatal mistakes.

Nothing Justifies A Text Message

There is no good excuse in the world why a text must be responded to while driving. There are too many terrifying statistics involved in the number of accidents caused by texting and driving. Many states have laws that prevent the use of mobile phone usage while in the car. However, much more needs to be done to prevent these horrendous statistics from escalating.

So, What Is Being Done About It?

There are a few things that the US government can do to inspire people to put their phones away while they’re driving. In Washington, D.C. and 10 other states, there are complete bans on handheld mobile devices while in the car. This means that drivers cannot even have their phones in their hands for any reason.

More than 32 states have a new law that prevents young and new drivers from using their cell phones on the road, period. This is because teen drivers are the highest contributors to texting-while-driving accidents.

This is a huge epidemic that is plaguing the entire country. Something needs to be done about it before more lives are lost. There should be heavier bans on cell phones in the car, especially when it comes to texting.

Wait until you’re parked to check your text message. That’s all it takes to save a life.