Distracted Driving. It’s got quite a “ring” to it, and that’s no joke, because people using their phones on the road is one of the leading causes of accidents and fatalities to this date. The New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware Departments of Transportation have had to take drastic actions to discipline drivers that take part in texting and driving, as well as other things that don’t honor the laws requiring hands-free devices while in control of a vehicle. One of these measures is the DNT TXT DRV campaign found at www.dnt-txt-drv.com.
You should be careful—if you injure someone because of distracted driving, you could be found liable for their injuries and damages, incurring serious medical bills and repair costs. The DNT TXT DRV campaign was not founded to make money from distracted drivers, it was founded to save lives that would otherwise be at risk from them. So we at the Law Offices of Vincent J. Ciecka are going to answer one of the biggest questions: “Where does the need for a don’t text and drive campaign come from?” The need comes from numbers that don’t lie.
Where the Need Arises for Distracted Driving Campaigns
In March of 2014, the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine published an article called “Special Considerations in Distracted Driving with Teens,” and it is a very eye opening piece of literature. It’s backed by research conducted by the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, touching upon human factors related to vehicle safety. The document will serve as a future guideline to follow when considering public policies surrounding distracted driving, especially when concerning younger drivers.
The study shows some eye-opening statistics that surprised event the Law Offices of Vincent J. Ciecka. In 2012, a national telephone survey reported that over 75% of children ages 12-17 owned cell phones. In 2011, a similar survey was polled on Americans between 18-20 years old, and 93% of them own cell phones. A 2009 national survey interviewing 800 teens discovered that 26% of the 16-17 year olds had taken part in some form of texting and driving. That’s just the ones that admit that they do it, the number could be larger in reality, and may have increased over time. Setting laws, standards and precedents that will instill values against distracted driving is the driving force behind the DNT TXT DRV Campaign. Now, all 50 states have special laws related to distracted driving, and they will only grow more complex and comprehensive over time.
The Numbers, Right from the DNT TXT DRV Campaign
Here are some facts to consider when it comes to distracted driving. For one, when you are travelling at normal highway speeds and you take your eyes off the road for five seconds, (the average amount of time to answer a text) you travel approximately the length of an entire football field—a lot can happen in that distance. Every year, roughly 6,000 deaths and a half a million injuries are attributed to distracted driving.
As cars become faster and more aerodynamic, and as the population grows, roads and residential areas are bound to get more populated and the roads will get busier. It’s incredibly important that we instill safe driving habits into our youth, as mobile devices and smartphones reach a new age of convenience and accessibility. Wherever possible, hands-free techniques should always be used. Texting and driving is a problem that takes teens away from their families every year. It’s only through consistent and regular education and awareness to the importance of fighting distracted driving, that we can hope to eliminate it or significantly reduce it from our roads—the problem starts with families and ends with drivers.
If you are hurt and need help, contact us immediately so we can go to work for you. We help injured people get compensation and medical treatment so they can get back to health and their daily activities without having to deal with the insurance companies.