Have you heard the news? Do you know the new trend? Distracted driving is on the rise and heading to a car accident involving you. Scary? Yes. Morbid? Maybe. Do we want you to be safe on the road? 100%. Our Los Angeles Car Accident Attorneys at Compass Law Group, LLP are here to tell you all about the ins and outs of distracted driving. We can no longer afford to drive without considering the negligent drivers around us. Gone are the days were drunk drivers were the only ones to worry about. As Distracted driving climbs to take the lead as the most common reason for car accidents, Los Angeles Car Accident Attorneys want you to know that we are here for you because you will need us to make sure the at-fault driver is held accountable for the utmost amount.
Startling Statistics
With the increased use of cell phone usage, distracted driving has refined its look. It is no longer people daydreaming, eating food, or putting on makeup. Distracted driving is also about using cell phones like talking on them or texting. Here are five important things you need to know about distracted driving:
- Those of us who like to talk and drive, you may be doing a disservice to ourselves and the drivers around us. A recent study shows that drivers who talk on cell phones drive as if his or her blood alcohol content is 0.08%. That is the legal limit for driving while intoxicated.
- By choosing to use your cell phone you are 5.36 times more likely to get into an accident. That means you are putting everyone in the car 5.36 times more likely to get injured while in the car accident.
- Recent studies show that reading or sending a text takes an average of 5 seconds. That means your eyes are off the road for 5 seconds which is the same as saying that you drove the length of a football field without looking at the road.
- A survey was conducted to see how many people think using a cell phone is dangerous. A healthy amount of 86% agreed that using a cell phone while driving is dangerous, but of those 86%, around 36% stated that when they use a cell phone they are more careful than others.
- If you are teen and driving, don’t chance it. More than 58% of teen crashes were because they were on their cell phones.
Choosing to use a cell phone while driving is the ultimate distraction. Even though there are laws against handheld devices in California, people still choose to use their phones and it is causing major damage to life and property on our roadways.
What To Do
If you or someone you love is suffering from a car accident due to a distracted driver, we are here for you.
