Every year there are 1.6 million crashes that involve cell phone use. This can be equated to four times the attendance of the 1960’s Woodstock concert being involved in an accident per year due to a cell phone.
Statistics show that at any moment, 660,000 drivers are using their phone behind the wheel of an automobile. We often hear about how dangerous drinking and driving is, but did you know that texting while driving is 6x more accident-prone than drinking while driving?
Here are a few powerful statistics to put cell phone dangers into perspective:
- 1 out of 4 car accidents in the US is caused by texting and driving.
- 11 teens die every day due to texting while driving.
- Looking away from the road for 5 seconds while driving 55 mph, like when one is texting, is enough time to travel the length of a football field.
- Teens are 4x more likely to be involved in a crash than adults.
I think we all know that texting while driving comes with risks, so why are we so prone to cell phone use while driving? There have been many actions put in place to reduce the use of cell phones, but ultimately, the decision to keep your phone away is up to you.
Ways to prevent texting while driving:
- Smartphones are becoming smarter. Built in features, or apps such as “Eyes on the Road” and “Live2Txt”, can hide message alerts until you reach your destination (some features even being able to instantly message those texting you that you are currently driving and can’t reach the phone!).
- Silence, turn off, or put your phone on the passenger’s side of the car.
- When in the passengers seat of someone else who is texting while driving, try out these punch lines:
“I’m sorry, but I get really nervous when people text while drive”
“I’ve seen a lot of cops out today, you might not want to text right now.”
“Would you like me to type for you since you’re driving?”
Sources:
Cdc.gov: http://www.cdc.gov/Motorvehiclesafety/Distracted_Driving/index.html
Edgarsnyder.com/car-accident: https://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cause-of-accident/cell-phone/cell-phone-statistics.html
Distraction.gov: http://www.distraction.gov/stats-research-laws/facts-and-statistics.html
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811737.pdf