660,000 drivers are using cell phones while driving at any given moment in the United States, according to Driver’s Alert. And those numbers have consequences. According to the National Safety Council, cell phone use while driving leads to 6 million accidents per year. The problem is that while we all acknowledge to some degree that “distracted driving” is bad, people still continue to frequently use their cell phones while driving.

As a personal injury law firm, we see these statistics come to life. So many of the fatal or seriously harmful accidents that we deal with could have been prevented if drivers committed to safer driving habits. So what is the truth about using your cell phone while driving? Is it really unsafe? Is it really negligence? Let’s look at the facts reported by CODOT, Driver’s Alert, and NHTSA.

• Fact #1: Texting while driving is more dangerous than drunk driving. People who text while driving are 6 times more likely to get into an accident than those who drive while intoxicated. In short, you’re 6 times less likely to get into an accident while driving drunk than you are while texting behind the wheel.

• Fact #2: Hands-free isn’t necessarily distraction-free. Many people believe that using a hands-free phone mode while driving is better, but studies show that distraction from cell phone use while driving (handheld or hands-free) delays a driver’s reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent.

• Fact #3: Cell phone use takes up critical brain focus. Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37%.

• Fact #4: The majority of car crashes happen because drivers aren’t paying attention. 80% of crashes in the US are related to driver inattention, and cell phone use is the #1 source of driver inattention.

• Fact #5: The roads aren’t the only place impacted by cell phone use while driving. 520 pedestrians were killed by distracted drivers in the United States in 2014.

What Can You Do?

These facts and statistics are staggering. Whether you’re a truck driver or commuter, you have the ability to change the statistics. The only way to really make the roads safer is for drivers to take the responsibility of adopting safer driving habits. What can you do? Share the information about the negative impacts of cell phone use while driving, and commit to being a safe and alert driver yourself! Don’t believe the lie that you are “better” at texting and driving than someone else! Everyone is susceptible to the deadly distractions of cell phone use while driving.

Have you or a loved one been injured in a car or truck accident in Jackson, MS because of another driver’s negligence? Negligence can include the irresponsible use of a cell phone while driving. The Heilman Law Group is here to get you the compensation you’re entitled to. Let’s get started today. Call 601-914-1025 or contact us online.

Heilman Law Group, PA

Jackson Office

4266 I-55 North, Suite 106

Jackson, Mississippi 39211

Phone: 601-914-1025

Fax: 601-960-4200