As the Distracted Driving Summit rolled on this week, the focus shifted from preventative legislation to the stark reality about the dangers of texting and driving. Business Week reported that the speakers outlined the deadly statistics of phone use while driving.
According to researchers texting alone caused more than 16,000 deaths in car accidents from 2001 to 2007. Further, texting while driving rose 28 percent in just three years, from 4,572 in 2005 to 5,870 in 2008.
“The increases in distracted driving seem to be largely driven by increased use of cell phones to text,” said lead researcher Fernando Wilson, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. “Overall use of cell phones have been pretty steady, but texting volumes have increased dramatically in the last few years,” he added.
Wilson added that drunk drivers are also more prone to pick up their phones while in their cars. Wilson did not have any definitive answers to the epidemic but added that “we need technologies that inhibit cell phone use while driving” and that more effective law enforcement of cell phone bans would also help.
The numbers here speak for themselves. As I have said many times before: think again the next time you are driving and tempted to pick up your phone while driving. You will, no doubt, increase the odds of causing a car crash if you decide to pick up your phone and decide to send that text or email.
If you or someone you know has been injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago trucking accident , then call Chicago car accident attorney , Aaron Bryant, for a free consultation at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com