As per the Indiana Department of Transportation, the number of texting and driving related crashes now exceeds drinking and driving cases. As a campaign against distracted driving, a specialty license plate that states, “Put the Phone Down”, is being sold at $40. The $25 shall be returned to IMTA and will be used to support distracted driving programs.
Related: Texting and Driving Is Very Annoying
In Kentucky, meanwhile, local authorities are also continuing efforts to curb texting while driving. Kentucky Police has admitted that spotting drivers who continue to text and drive can be challenging. While it doesn’t take them long to find drivers staring down at their smartphone, it’s easy for the drivers to make up reasons once a cop pulls them over. For one, people are still allowed to use GPS phone maps.
As per NHTSA, nearly 80% of crashes and 65% of near-crashes involve some form of distraction within three seconds before the incident. In Kentucky in 2014, 169 were killed while 14,000 were injured in over 53,500 crashes.
Distracted driving and inattention is also cited as among the factors that contribute to young driver crashes in Kentucky. Still in 2014, 23,679 crashes were recorded involving young drivers ages 21 and below. These crashes resulted to 97 fatalities and 7,118 injuries.
Related: Let’s Make A Move Against Texting And Driving
As a Kentucky Accident Attorney, I believe that road safety regulations and local campaigns against texting while driving can only do so much. It’s not enough that we are aware this driving behavior is dangerous; we need to practice safe driving habits and commit ourselves to it. One life lost is too many especially if the cause is preventable. Let’s work with local authorities to combat texting while driving and protect our loved ones when on roads.