Back in 2007, Washington was our nation’s first state to ban texting while driving. A decade later and 46 more states plus the District of Columbia have passed similar legislation. Despite anti-texting laws in California and elsewhere, car accidents due to texting while driving continue to be a nationwide epidemic, claiming thousands of innocent lives each year. With the widespread popularity of smartphones, texting has become an integral part of daily life. Using apps like Viber and Whatsapp to send and receive written messages, voice communications, photos and video is commonplace among Americans of all ages – especially when behind the wheel.
Texting and driving is exceedingly dangerous for numerous reasons. The very act of texting takes your eyes off the road and detracts your attention away from driving and surrounding hazards. While most Americans support a ban on texting while driving and understand the inherent risks involved, a staggering number of people continue this perilous activity. Whether ignorant or simply fueled by the justification that they can text and steer without crashing, national statistics show the harsh reality of the dangers.
Here are 10 shocking statistics about this growing problem.
10 shocking texting & driving statistics
- 25 percent of all motor vehicle accidents in the United States involve texting and driving.
- 25 percent of teenagers respond to a text at least once every time they drive.
- Each year, an estimated 330,000 serious car accidents are caused by people who text while driving.
- Every day, some 11 teens die in texting and driving crashes.
- Motorists who text while driving are 6 times more likely to get into an accident compared to those who drive drunk.
- According to AAA, two-thirds of Americans between the ages of 19 and 24 have admitted to reading a text message while driving in the last month.
- Reading a text while driving takes your eyes and concentration off the road for a minimum of 5 seconds.
- If traveling at 55 mph, this is equivalent to driving the length of a football field while blindfolded.
- You are 23 times more likely to be in an accident if you are texting and driving.
- According to the FCC, 11 percent of drivers ages 18-20 who were involved in non-fatal car accidents admitted they were texting at the time of their accidents.
The California Office of Traffic Safety reports that a whopping 80 percent of all vehicle accidents in the state involve some sort of driver inattention, be it texting, talking on a cell phone or other distracting activities. Under a new law that went into effect on January 1, 2017, California drivers are banned from operating or even holding their cell phones for any purpose unless it is mounted to the windshield or dashboard. Only time will tell if this legislation will help reduce the number of traffic injuries and deaths.
Injured by a texting driver in Los Angeles?
The law affords remedies to victims of distracted drivers. If you or someone you love was hurt because of a texting driver, The Salamati Law Firm is here to help. Sean Salamati offers free consultations to prospective clients and is a talented Los Angeles car accident lawyer with decades of experience handling personal injury claims throughout L.A. and Southern California. Call us today at 888-259-4060.
Additional Texting and Driving Statistics Resources:
- Wired, Texting and Driving Isn’t a Millennial Problem. It’s an Engineering Problem https://www.wired.com/2017/02/texting-driving-isnt-millennial-problem-engineering-problem/
- Icebike.org, the 25 Scariest Texting and Driving Accident Statistics http://www.icebike.org/texting-and-driving/
- Council of State Governments, Texting While Driving in 2016 http://knowledgecenter.csg.org/kc/content/texting-while-driving-2016-0