When ‘lol’ has the power to kill: The Dangers of Texting and Driving
Around 2.5 billion text messages are sent every day in the United States, according to recent statistics, and unfortunately, many are being sent by America’s drivers. It is vital to understand the dangers of texting and driving.
Much like the effects of drunk driving, driving while distracted can be a serious mistake which leads to severe injuries and even death. Text messaging while driving has become a bad habit for many Americans, especially teenagers, as more than half of all teens admit to text messaging while behind the wheel, according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
On average, text messaging while driving forces drivers to take their eyes off of the road for five seconds at a time, which means that at highway speeds a driver will cover more than the length of a football field during that time. Also, text messaging requires at least one hand to type in the message, leaving only one hand to steer the vehicle. Because many cell phones also have a comput-er-like ‘QWERTY’ keyboard, some drivers will even use both hands to text while driving. This leaves nothing but a knee or elbow to “control” the steering wheel. Drivers who are texting also may be significantly distracted mentally, due to focusing on what the text message will say.
Combine mental distraction with the physical distrac-tion of preoccupied eyes and hands, and you have a driver who might not see a stoplight turn red or be able to swerve around a child running into the street. It’s no mystery why distracted driving is one of the leading causes of fatal car wrecks.
For your safety and the safety of others, our law firm strongly encourages you to never text while driving.