Driving and Texting - A Fatal Combination

Chances are, you have texted while driving and nothing happened. So, you do it again. And again. Each time you risk having a car accident. Sometimes you lose. This is one of the increasingly leading causes of car accidents for all age groups. Blackberries are amazing new gizmos, right? This new technology seems to have also come with a huge price in terms of the increased risk of being in a car accident. Car accidents have been more common since mobile devices have been introduced, but do we really have to suffer the consequences of new technology? That is the question.

As most drivers know, keeping your eyes on the road is a basic rule of driving. Ignore this one rule for a fraction of a second and you could find yourself on the verge of a car accident almost insantaniously. That new text or calendar reminder isn't as important as the saftey of you and other drivers. The attention being given to the phone should instead be on the road 100% of the time.

There are those who scoff at this precautional advice and instead claim that they can send text messages without the need of looking at their mobile phones. Incredibly, some drivers MAY be able to indeed text without looking at the phone, but it is an undeniable fact that their brain is still involved in the process of pressing keys, numbers and hitting the Send button.

The most offending age population that use mobile phones the most while driving is not surprisingly teenagers. This certainly isn't a shocking statistic, since they are also the group that most easily adapts to new technology. Older drivers are most likely to refrain from using a mobile handset and talking while driving. Younger drivers just don't have the driving experience to tell them that what they are doing is highly risky and dangerous. Although they know right from wrong and have no doubt been lectured to about texting and driving, many will still read a text message the instant their phone beeps.

Experts suggest that the parents should be "enforcers" of mobile phone use with their young and as such, are expected to instill proper road discipline to their children. Lecturing and simply speaking to your teen may not be enough though, so think about instituting consequences for breaking the "no texting while driving" rule. Extra chores, loss of phone use, loss of driving privaledges even allowance deductions are all possible consequences. Children need to be taught the right thing, and if an adult does not follow the no-texting-while-driving rule, then their children will not be taught the simple and important rule either.

If you text while driving, you are 23 times more prone to car accidents than people who wait until they are at their destination to text. Virginia Tech Transportation Institute conducted a study to determine how long do drivers look or peak into their mobile phones while operating a motor vehicle. The study concluded that drivers glance at their modile phones very often while driving, as much as every 4 to 5 seconds. This is more than enough time for an accident to occur. In fact, a crash can happen in only a second or two. Other studies have been done that arrive at the same conclusion. And, as with other driving distractions such as reading a book and driving, this one is easy to fix. Setting the phone to silence all sounds and beeps is one way to handle this problem. For those drivers who would still have the tendency to check the phone, putting it somewhere in the car where it cannot be reached, such as the trunk, may be a better idea.

Mobile Texting & Our Laws

Currently, very few states have legislation prohibiting the use of cell phones while driving, however some states like New York do have rules that madates the use of a hands-free device in order to talk while driving. Many states have not passed cell phone driving legislations, but there are bills being considered by several state governments.

Many people remember the beginnings of the "Don't Drink and Drive" movement in the 1980's. After this movement it was no longer acceptable to have "just one last drink" before leaving a party. In the last three decades, there has been a culture shift once people realized the extent of the dangers of driving drunk, and with the help of legislation and new laws, driving drunk has become not only illegal, but a stigma that most people would not want to be associated with. Driving while texting can go down the same road as drinking and driving; we just need more people to realize how dangerous this is.

Even new technology that claims to make life easier has flaws, and you need to look at the advantages and disadvantages of its practical use.


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Personal Injury Lawyer Raleigh NC Eric Kassor, founder of The Law Offices of Eric Kassor, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, has over 20 years experience in assisting clients with their personal injury claims from auto accident lawyer Raleigh, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents and pedestrian accidents.