Texting While Driving
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Texting While Driving Accidents
Even though we are all aware of the dangers of texting while driving, texting has become one of the most dangerous distractions for our nation’s drivers. Throughout the country there have been numerous fatal accidents involving text messaging.
Many local residents have been affected by the news involving three Rochester teens killed in car accidents, the five area cheerleaders killed, as well as the recent college student killed after her car rolled over. All a result of texting while driving. Parents often worry about the safety of their young adults, particularly when they are driving with their friends.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Institute, in 2007, New York State reported 236 fatalities involving teen drivers. They also found that two-thirds of fatal crashes involving 16-year-old drivers were in cars with teenage passengers. “It is encouraging that New York State is doing something to try to prevent teenage driver fatalities.
Another alarming statistic. Did you know, you are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash if you are texting while driving? Stop texting while driving today.
Distracted Driving – Distracted driving isn’t limited to texting while you drive. Distracted driving can also include eating, talking, changing the radio station, talking on your cell phone, or even fixing your hair. We’ve all seen it and many of us have personally been guilty of distracted driving to one degree or another.
Distracted driving can be terribly dangerous and puts everyone on the road at risk. It’s estimated that nearly 6,000 people die every year in auto accidents involving distracted drivers. That averages out to 16 people dying every day among the nearly 1,500 daily accidents that involve distracted drivers, nationwide.
Ban on Texting Takes Effect – New York’s law against texting while driving went into effect November 1, 2009. The new law forbids the use of mobile devices for reading, typing and sending text messages while driving.
The ban on texting while driving comes with fines up to $150. It was already illegal in the state to talk on a cell phone while driving. The U.S. Transportation Department reported that 5,870 people were killed and 515,000 were injured last year in crashes connected to driver distraction, often involving mobile devices or cell phones.
Texting While Driving – Stats 48% of young Americans from 12-17 say they’ve been in a car while the driver was texting. 52% of 16 and 17 year old teen drivers admit to making and answering cell phone calls on the road.
34% admit to text messaging while driving.
In 2007, driver distractions, such as using a cell phone or text messaging, contributed to nearly 1,000 crashes involving 16 and 17 year old drivers.
Texting while driving is about 3 times more likely to result in an accident than driving while intoxicated (BAC = .08) People who text while driving are 23 times more likely to be in a car accident.
Virginia Tech Study
Texting while driving is the most dangerous of all cell phone related tasks. This includes talking, dialing or reaching for your phone.
Teen drivers are four times more likely than adults to get into car crashes or near crash events directly related to talking on a cell phone or texting.
A driver texting while driving is 23.2 times more likely to get into an accident than a driver paying full attention to the road.
Drivers texting are often distracted taking their eyes off of the road up to 75% of the time. This makes texting the most distracting of all cell phone related tasks.
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