Texting Drivers Are Putting You in Harm’s Way
Texting is one of the easiest and fastest ways of communicating with one another. Whether you need to check in with your teen or let someone know that you are running late, there is a good chance that you will be texting. But even though it is easy, it can also be dangerous. Texting drivers are putting you and everyone else in Kentucky at risk for serious injury — or worse.
Texting drivers cause 1.6 million accidents every year. The costs related to these accidents add up to $129 billion a year as victims contend with medical bills and expenses related to property damage. There are also funeral costs to think about as cellphones are involved in 14% of all fatal crashes.
Is Multitasking the Problem?
A lot of employers value the ability to focus on two tasks at once, but that does not mean this behavior should follow you into the car. Part of the problem is that confidence in multitasking may influence how likely someone is to text while driving. Different generations approach multitasking differently too, with nearly 34% of people 55 or older saying they multitask moderately well. Only around 30% of drivers aged 25-34 said the same thing.
However, when asked about whether they can multitask extremely well, older drivers’ confidence dropped with only 13.8% responding positively. Conversely, over 20% of drivers in the younger age group said they are very good at multitasking. The respondents were all part of a 2020 study from The Zebra.
What’s More Dangerous?
Like most other drivers in Kentucky, you already know that drinking and driving is dangerous. But is it more dangerous than texting and driving? You may be surprised to learn that texting drivers are six times more likely to cause an accident than drunk drivers.
It is not just about texting either. A driver with a blood alcohol concentration of .08% and a driver using a cellphone — even if it is a hands-free device — have the same approximate delay in reaction time. You do not even have to touch your phone to increase your risk of causing an accident.
What About GPS?
Navigating around has probably never been easier. Most smartphones are equipped with GPS technology that can clearly guide you step by step to your exact destination. The reality is that a driver might not be talking to or physically interacting with a phone when following GPS instructions, but his or her mind is still distracted.
Texting drivers cause real, lasting harm to their victims. Now that you have suffered injuries due to a texting driver, you know just how important it is to get help, but maybe you are not sure where to turn. If you choose to work directly with an experienced attorney, he or she can give you careful guidance through the process of collecting compensation for your financial, physical, and emotional damages.