Distracted driving – which involves anything that takes your eyes or attention off the road – is a significant contributing factor to automobile accidents. Distracted driving can be deadly; not only for the person driving and their passengers, but every nearby driver, pedestrian, road worker, and bicyclist. In fact, the CDC reports that nine people in the United States are killed every day in crashes involving a distracted driver. And because distracted driving crashes tend to be vastly underreported, the actual numbers could be even higher.
Distractions come in many forms, including:
- eating
- reading
- putting on makeup
- fatigue
- built-in touchscreens
- looking for something in the vehicle
- adjusting the climate or radio
- fellow passengers, including kids and pets
- using your phone
PING. Don’t Answer That!
The most common driving distraction of all is cell phone use, specifically, texting, talking, and social media use. Texting is considered the most dangerous type of distracted driving because it combines all three types of distraction: visual, manual, and cognitive. Driving studies conducted at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that texting while driving raises a driver’s crash risk by 23 times. And according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), sending or reading a text message for five seconds – the average time it takes – while driving at 55 mph is the same as driving the entire length of a football field with your eyes closed.
Most of us know how dangerous texting while driving is and even get angry when we see other people doing it. And yet, 45% of people have admitted to texting or using their phone while driving! Updating your phone settings to silence notifications while driving can remove the temptation to take even a quick look when you hear that ping while you’re in the driver’s seat, even when you’re stopped.
Teens and Texting
Decades of anti-drinking-and-driving campaigns have made teens increasingly aware of the dangers of drunk driving. Despite these efforts, however, drunk driving remains a problem among this age group, particularly on weekends when young people are on the road after parties or drinking at home. According to MADD, 1 in 4 car crashes with teens involve an underage drunk driver.
But did you know that texting while driving gives the driver the same response time as a person who has consumed four beers in a single hour? According to the NHTSA, you are six times more likely to be in a motor vehicle accident while driving if you’re texting, than if you’re intoxicated. And this danger exists from the moment the young driver heads to school until the moment they return home, seven days a week.
It’s no secret that many teens use their smartphones to excess and most check their phones multiple times every hour. Young people are not only less experienced at handling a vehicle, they also tend to be more impulsive and often feel pressured to respond right away to texts and other alerts, which, if they’re driving, poses a serious threat. 35% percent of all teens admit to texting and driving, and for those 18 and older, that number increases to 60%.
We encourage you to have a conversation with your teen and young drivers about the very real dangers to themselves and others of texting and driving. And always remember to set a good example for your kids: teens who observe their parents driving while distracted are 2 to 4 times more likely to do the same.
Put Down Your Phone: It’s the Law in Massachusetts
It is illegal in Massachusetts to handle your cell phone while driving, even if you’re stopped in traffic, at a stop sign or stoplight. The restrictions for drivers over the age of 18 include that you:
- can only use electronic devices and mobile phones in hands-free mode
- are not permitted to hold or support any electronic device/phone
- cannot touch a phone except to activate the hands-free mode in a device that is properly mounted not to impede the operation of the motor vehicle.
- cannot touch a device for texting, emailing, apps, video, or internet use
And if you’re under 18, you are not allowed to use any electronic devices at all – all phone use while driving is illegal, including use in hands-free mode. Read the full law.
It’s Just Not Worth It: The Consequences of Texting and Driving
If you are charged with using your phone illegally in Massachusetts, not only could you face fines between $100-$500, you could be facing far more serious consequences. If your license is suspended, you might not be able to get to work and could lose your job. And if you hope to find work as a commercial driver, delivery driver, or ride share driver, a distracted driving charge in your driving history may disqualify you from those jobs in the future.
Repeated driving offenses will cause you to accumulate points on your driving record and will also draw the attention of your insurance provider. Insurance companies take distracted driving charges very seriously and can drastically raise your rates as a result. In fact, after your third distracted driving charge in Massachusetts, your rates will go up automatically.
If a driver causes an accident involving distracted driving, they could also face more serious consequences, including reckless driving or vehicular homicide.
Call An Experienced Car Accident Attorney
If you have been injured by a distracted driver, call the experienced auto accident attorneys at Parker Scheer. You may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and potential lost future earnings.
