There’s nothing good about texting while driving. It’s illegal, risky, dangerous and other drivers consider it to be annoying. So, why do so many people continue to text and drive?
Annoying driving habits
According to an Expedia survey, almost seven out of 10 American drivers rated other motorists who were on their phone to text as extremely aggravating. Sarah Gavin, an Expedia travel expert, emphasized that when there are 30 million people out on the road and each one of them wants to text while driving, that’s when crashes happen. The survey also listed other annoying things that other drivers do such as: tailgating, multi-tasking (eating, applying makeup, reading, etc.), weaving between lanes and driving under the speed limit.
Statistics
- In 2012, 3,328 people died in distraction-related crashes in 2012.
- Motorists who drive while sending or reading text messages are 23% more likely to be involved in a car crash than other drivers.
- Around 71% of teens and young drivers admitted to composing or sending text messages while driving.
- There were 78% of teens and adults said they had read text messages while driving.
- Texting while driving is illegal in every state except Arizona, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.
Related: Beware: Drowsy Driving Can be Just as Fatal as Drunk Driving
U Drive. U Text. U Pay.
In April 2014, Kentucky joined the U Drive. U Text. U Pay. campaign, which aims to crack down on motorists who text behind the wheel. Law enforcement agencies use unmarked SUVs and spotters to catch the texting motorists. Also, Mobile Life Solutions, creator of TextLimit app, and Kentucky Office of Highway Safety promote the use of the TextLimit app. This app will prohibit the driver from sending a text, calling and surfing the web when the driver reaches a certain speed.
As a Kentucky Accident Attorney, I know how dangerous distracted driving is for everyone on the road. It puts our lives and others at risk. This is why all Kentucky motorists should stop texting while driving. Always focus on the road, observe traffic signals, obey the law and respect other drivers. This will help decrease not only auto accidents, but wrongful deaths as well.