Most drivers in Massachusetts are aware of the dangers cell phones pose on the roadway. The biggest concern with using a cell phone while driving is the distraction it can cause. People who are texting while driving have their eyes diverted from the roadway and their driving-related actions.
According to the 2014 injury and fatality report by the National Safety Council, or NSC, cellphones cause roughly 26 percent of the car accidents occurring nationwide. The NSC also pointed out that this was a modest increase from those reported in 2013.
When considering how cell phones influenced car accidents, the NSC considered various uses of a cell phone. With regards to texting while driving, this only contributed to 5 percent of the cell phone-related accidents reported in 2014. Therefore, the majority of accidents involving cell phones were actually caused by distractions from talking on the phone. This holds true for both handheld and hands-free cell phone use.
The NSC report warns drivers that talking on the phone while driving is more dangerous than texting while driving. Moreover, the report highlights that talk-to-text phone and car applications are not a solution to this problem, but are in fact contributing to it. In fact, it was found that manual texting took slightly less time than the voice-to-text method. However, both equally distract the driver and impact driving abilities.
Distracted driving is a serious issue on the roads and could easily cause a car accident. Anyone harmed by a distracted driver could hold the negligent party responsible for the injuries, damages and losses caused by the incident. A personal injury lawsuit could help the victim recover compensation.
