Why Texting and Driving is a bad Idea

Are you aware that anyone attempting to text and drive has an increased likelihood of having an accident than a driver who is not distracted by at least 23 times?

At least 160,000 auto crashes and accidents are thought to have been caused because people were texting while driving in just 2010 alone.

As an additional statistic to take into consideration, at least 11% of younger drivers, who were 18-20 at the time of their accident, who got involved in an automobile crash or accident and were not killed, and were able to communicate afterwards, admitted that they were receiving or sending texts when the accident happened.

At least 3,092 people died in a vehicle crash in 2010 because of distracted drivers not paying enough attention behind the wheel.

Sending or reading text messages while behind the wheel has rapidly become an unfortunate National Epidemic. As of now, approximately 10 people are killed in accidents every day due to it.

Every one that texts and gets behind the wheel already know all too well that they are recklessly disregarding the safety of themselves and others, but nonetheless, they keep doing it.

Every day, in and out, as they travel over the miles, block upon block, these people cause unnecessary deaths. We as free people need to stand up and tell them enough. Texting and driving must stop. The best way to do this is to make them pay for the damages and losses that they cause. Hopefully this expensive lesson makes a difference in a big way.

According to a Federal Agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, (NHTSA), texting while behind the wheel is very dangerous. It is actually six times as likely as a DUI to be the cause of an accident. It has about the same risk as operating a motor vehicle after drinking four beers.

In 2011, at least 23% of all vehicle accidents involved some form of cell phone use. This resulted in at least 1.3 million crashes. This unfortunate national epidemic results in untold suffering, mental and physical pain, and lost lives.

Compensable economic damages of at least several billion dollars have resulted from accidents that involved sending or reading text messages while driving.

Using any cellular device to text or to talk while behind the wheel is a reckless, unsafe and highly selfish act.

According to Federal DOT, distracted vehicular operation caused by reading or sending text messages can be identified as three main types. They are:

1. Manual Driver Distraction- when the driver moves his or her hands off of the steering wheel while operating a motor vehicle;
2. Cognitive Driver Distraction—when the driver’s mind wanders off of his or her driving activity while still driving;
3. Visual Driver Distraction-when the driver looks away from the road while still driving a moving vehicle.

Sending or reading text messages while operating a vehicle is particularly dangerous as it involves all of the three main distractions…at the same time!

Reading and sending text messages while driving must stop. If it doesn’t, otherwise preventable crashes will certainly occur.

Are you in Corpus Christi? Have you been in an accident with an 18 wheeler or other big rig?

Give Carabin Shaw a call. We can help. Call us at 361.444.1111, local if you’re in Corpus Christi.