The Impact Texting While Driving Has

Driving these days is a lot more complicated than it used to be because there are way too many things competing for our attention and we have the means to respond to them whenever we want. The things we have to deal with at work and our busy lives are the two reasons we can’t seem to let go of our phones even when we’re behind the wheels.

Any activity that takes our eyes from the road is a danger to our safety and other drivers. While numerous distractions can cause us to lose focus when driving, not many are as deadly as texting or operating a mobile device. In this article, we’ll be discussing the effects of texting while driving and the implications it could have.

Statistics Of Texting While Driving

At the start of 2022, a survey was carried out to identify some relevant data concerning texting and driving patterns of drivers in the United States. By working with a few benchmarks used the year before, the results showed a shift in driving behavior, although there wasn’t any significant difference from the previous year’s results.

• 16.2% of drivers admitted to having texted while driving, which is a 2.2 percent decrease compared to the results of 2021.
• More than half of the respondents thought that using a navigation system on a cell phone is less risky than texting while driving which is the exact opposite of what fact states.
• About 57% of the respondents consider texting while driving more dangerous than making a phone call.
• 53% of women admitted to texting while driving, slightly higher than the number of men who admitted to the act.
• Statistical analyses show a significant increase in public awareness of cell phone laws.
• According to the driving statistics of 2022, a higher percentage of the drivers reported that it’s almost impossible to multitask while driving, contrary to the 12.5% of respondents in 2021 who didn’t think there was anything wrong with texting or performing other secondary tasks while driving.

Data On Motor Vehicle Crashes Caused By Drivers Using Cell Phones

The greater part of America’s population has come to understand the risks involved in texting and driving. Although, even after acknowledging the risks of texting and sending emails while driving, many people choose to do it anyway.

Washington DC and 47 other states have banned texting while behind the wheels. However, distracted driving incidents involving cellphone use persist.

While traffic authorities do not fully disclose the statistics on the number of distracted drivers and drivers operating mobile phones, the evidence says it all.

• 14 percent of annual road crashes are caused by texting drivers
• About 15 percent of distracted driving casualties were attributed to texting and driving which is significantly higher than other forms of distracted driving.
• Over four thousand lives were lost due to cellphone-related accidents in 2016.
• At least 4,637 people were killed as a result of cell phone-induced car crashes in the year 2018
• Road accidents involving teenagers occur more frequently than drivers aged 20 and above.
• According to the National Highway Traffic safety administration and multiple studies, 3,166 lives were claimed due to texting and distraction-related crashes in 2017 alone.
• At least 598 pedestrians and cyclists were killed in road accidents involving cellphone use in 2017
• According to reports, 8 to 9 fatalities and over a thousand injuries each day in the United States due to distracted driving are cellphone-related.

Consequences Of Driving And Texting

Sending a text message while driving might seem as harmless as rolling down the windshield, however, the consequences can be rather severe. Thousands of motorists and pedestrians are killed each year due to cell phone use.

Being a major component of distracted driving, texting while behind the wheels causes the attention of drivers to shift from the road to their mobile devices. While there’s an illusion of safety attached to texting at a stoplight, it can be quite dangerous since a split second is all it takes for things to change.

1. Property Damage

One significant risk of driving and texting is the possibility of crashing into another vehicle, which will most assuredly cost you. Even in a scenario where you unknowingly crash into a roadblock of some sort and not another vehicle, your vehicle will likely sustain severe damage.

2. Your Car Insurance Might Go Up

Drivers who text and drive not only pose a threat to themselves and others around them. Their insurance rates will likely rise if it goes on their record that they were texting and driving. Even if an accident doesn’t occur due to their negligence, as long as such drivers are given tickets it will take a toll on their insurance.

A great example of how texting while driving affects rates can be found in North Carolina. In early 2019, the North Carolina Rate Bureau, which coordinates the affairs of insurance companies within the state, moved to increase the average rate to 7.6% to curb distracted driving accidents.

However, the state’s insurance institute for highway safety sanctioned a 1.6% increase later during the same year.

3. Legal Consequences

Almost every state in America has driving laws concerning handheld devices. The states that issued a ban on cell phone use, each utilize financial penalties as a deterrent in the hopes of reducing cell phone-related fatal crashes, which would help minimize the figures in the official mortality weekly report.

The penalties differ for each state but are usually between $20 and $500. Although, in states like Iowa and Alaska the fines are as high as a thousand dollars and the incidents are usually recorded as misdemeanors. The consequences of driving and texting include the following:

• Monetary fines which are usually around $20 to $1,000 depending on the state
• Misdemeanor charges.
• Possible Jail time if the incident led to a fatal crash and caused severe injury to another party.

Typically, the consequences are more severe with perpetrators who have been booked previously for other offenses. Sometimes, it could mean slightly higher fines or even a prolonged jail sentence.

State Laws Concerning Cell Phone Use While Driving

As stated earlier, the punishment for sending text messages while driving differs with each state since they each have their distracted driving laws. Read on to discover the different phone use bans of some states in the US.

Texas

In the year 2017, a new law was passed banning the operation of all wireless communication devices while driving around the state of Texas. Sending messages with a hand-held cell phone while driving is strictly prohibited no matter the circumstance.

Connecticut

To encourage safe driving, the law-making body in Connecticut issued voluntary guidelines, including a ban on cell phone use while driving. First-time offenders are fined a total of $150, however, breaking this law a second or third time attracts a steeper fine, to the tune of $500.

Indiana

Indiana’s governors’ highway safety association banned texting and driving in 2011. Young drivers aged 18 and below and older drivers are not allowed to use their mobile phones or any other electronic device while driving.

All who go against this law are required to pay a fine of $500.

Arizona

Sending texts with handheld devices while driving is against the law in Arizona. This law applies to all drivers, regardless of age. Commercial drivers are prohibited from using mobile phones and hands-free devices when driving and will be prosecuted for doing so.

Arkansas

There’s a strictly enforced handheld and the hands-free ban on mobile devices for drivers aged 18 and below in Arkansas. Bus drivers are also banned from using either of these devices while behind the wheels.

The law also prevents drivers from operating hands-free or handheld devices while driving around school environments or work zones where children are present.

California

In California, traffic laws state that drivers are not allowed to text or make phone calls while driving. This law applies to teenagers, high school students, and new drivers. Failure to comply with this law is a punishable offense and can also lead to some serious jail time.

Colorado

Colorado has a statewide ban on hands-free and handheld devices for all drivers aged 18 and below. it’s also against the law for novice drivers yet to obtain their permits to text or use handheld devices while on the road.

How To Avoid Texting And Driving Accidents

According to driving statistics, texting and driving is the most common cause of fatal crashes. Unfortunately, this practice has become increasingly popular with drivers of all ages, even experienced drivers. According to statistics on driver behavior, at least one in five drivers text and drive.

Unlike in the past when this kind of behavior was associated with teenagers and young adults, these days texting and sending emails isn’t limited to any age group. Here are a few useful tips to help you and those close to you break free from this dangerous driving habit.

1. Put your phone on silent and keep vibrations off

It is only normal to want to reach for your phone when you see incoming calls and feel it vibrating, but knowing the risk factors involved, it’s probably best to repress this urge. The most effective way to prevent a car accident and near crashes is by putting your phone on silent and turning off the vibration feature before heading out.

2. Make sure your phone is out of sight and reach

Some drivers are hardcore texters, so turning off the vibration feature and putting their cell phones on silent won’t do the trick. If this sounds like you, your best alternative is to always keep your phone out of reach whenever you get in the car. This way, whenever you feel tempted to reply to a text or answer a call, you’ll have no choice but to pull over.

3. Pull over if you have to send a text urgently

If you urgently have to send a text or answer a call, make sure to pull over safely before doing so. It shouldn’t be that difficult to find somewhere to make a stop, even if it takes a while, it’s much better than risking your life.

If the issue you have to discuss is not time-sensitive, it’s best to drive to your destination before picking up your phone rather than endangering your life.

4. Lead by example if you’re a parent

If you have teenagers, there’s no way they’ll listen to you if you can’t follow your own rules while driving. If you want them to avoid texting while driving, make sure they see you turning your cell phone off whenever they’re in the car with you.

Doing this will let them see your stance on cellphone use while driving, unless they’re hardcore texters they’ll most likely follow in your footsteps when they drive themselves. If you want this rule to stick, ensure no one is exempt from going against it. Remember that even a single incident can lead to a serious accident; as a parent, you probably don’t want that going on your child’s record.

5. Let Your teen driver know the consequences of texting while driving

You have to be strict with how you enforce this driving rule as it concerns the safety of your household and that of other drivers.

Whenever you find your teen drivers texting behind the wheels, ensure the consequences are strict to get the message across. You must hammer it in because letting them off is almost the same as sentencing them to a car crash.

How Texting And Driving And Other Distracted Driving Attitudes Affect Response Time

Quickly texting a colleague that you’re running late or explaining why your plans might not work out for the day might seem easy enough. But before you reach for your phone remember that any kind of activity that takes your focus from the road even for a moment is inviting trouble.

Think about it this way, seven seconds of replying to a text while going 55 miles an hour is practically the same as driving the length of a football field with your eyes off the road. As brief as it might seem, there’s no telling what could happen within that time.

Final Words

Seeing the number of motor vehicle crashes that occur annually due to texting and driving is more than enough to change your outlook on the issue. While the federal government still has much to do before any real progress can be made, we can each play our part by educating younger drivers about the risks of texting and operating electronic devices while driving.