Distracted driving causes accidents every day in the USA, and despite expensive campaigns and initiatives launched to promote awareness of the danger of texting while driving, we still do it. A recent ZenDrive study revealed that drivers used smartphones on almost all trips in the car (about 88% of trips taken in the given period). We know about the danger—so why do we still drive while texting, watching or reading on a phone? A few key reasons are listed below.
More Young Drivers
As more and more freshly minted drivers hit the road, texting rates increase. A Harvard Business study revealed that more than half of teens have read or texted while driving in the last 30 days. These digital natives have always had phones and tech toys, so the increase in youthful drivers naturally leads to more people behind the wheel with a phone in hand.
Multitasking
Technology allows us to do more than ever before – and multitasking is an essential part of today’s busy lifestyle. According to Wired, more and more of us are taking that multitasking to the extreme and using a smartphone while driving. Online shopping, texting and even business meetings conducted over the phone all add up to big distractions for drivers.
We Don’t Know We are Doing it
Could you be texting more than you think? A recent study revealed that most of us are simply so used to using a phone or device, we don’t even realize we’re doing it. The habit of using and referring to a phone could be so ingrained that we see it as an extension of ourselves and launch into a conversation, email or text without realizing what we are doing. This phenomenon happens most often when a driver is stopped in traffic or at a light and uses that time to just “check one thing”. They end up spending more time than expected – and driving becomes the secondary task.
Awareness of the danger, a commitment to focusing on driving as the primary task and technology that allows for distraction free driving could help cut back on this growing risk. In the meantime, distracted driving can and does cause accidents daily.
If you have been the victim of a distracted driver who simply couldn’t put down that phone – no matter what they were doing – we can help. Contact Harshbarger Law today if you have any questions and would like to discuss your incident with a legal professional.