HOW DANGEROUS IS TEXTING AND DRIVING?

owadays, most people own a mobile device. Likewise, most people use their phones on a regular basis. Unfortunately, with the rise in cellphone usage, there has also been an increase in distracted driving accidents. In 2017, around eight percent of all car accident fatalities were due to distracted driving explains the FCC. 

Distracted driving injures 1,000 people every single day. When it comes to fatalities, teens are the most likely to report distractions at the time of fatal crashes. Young people tend to be more prone to texting and driving accidents than older adults are. However, this is not to say that older drivers do not use their phones while driving. Nearly 500,000 drivers report that they use their cell phones when they are driving in the daylight. 

If you take your eyes off the road for even a couple of seconds, you could end up in an accident that costs someone his or her life. It is crucial that young drivers and new drivers understand the importance of keeping their eyes on the road at all times when they are driving. 

If you are worried about distracted driving, the best that you can do is to lead by example. You should never talk and drive. If you need to make a phone call or if you need to text someone, then you should always pull over to a safe place. Likewise, you can tell others about how crucial it is that they drive without distractions. While many states do have laws that ban or put restrictions on wireless phones, there are no federal laws regarding texting or cell phones in the car.