Terrifying Facts About Texting, Driving & Car Accidents

There are a lot of basics a person learns when they first decide to learn how to drive a car. Besides learning where the gas pedal is, how to break and use the shifting gear, there are a lot of safety procedures that are equally important when you are behind the wheel.

Not using your Smartphone rule is second only to the wear your seatbelt rule but looking at how many accidents texting and driving causes you can tell it's a lesson that can save a life.

At any given time of the day, there are around 660,000 drivers on the streets actively using Smartphone while driving. And Smartphones are a really good way to stay connected, in cars and in traffic generally they can turn out to be distracting. Checking your messages and texting while driving is a big safety risk.

Even with the Smartphone holders and Bluetooth that allows you to communicate but keep your hands on your wheel, having someone talking in your ear while driving is also quite dangerous as you can fail to hear sounds that alert you to a possible danger in traffic.

Take a look at the statistics surrounding texting and driving, showing just how dangerous using a Smartphone while driving really is.

Smartphone Car Accidents Statistics

The National Safety Council reported that around 1.6 million crashes happen every year by using a Smartphone while driving, and in those crashes, 390,000 injuries happen as a result.

This means that 1 out of every 4 accidents in the U.S. is caused by texting and driving and it is 6 times more likely to cause a crash because of your phone than by driving while under the influence.

Texting by far is the most dangerous activity you could do on your phone while driving as you shift your attention from the road for about 5 seconds. And no matter if almost 94 percent of drivers support the ban on using Smartphones while driving, it is still the number one cause of car accidents nationwide.

Teens, Smartphones, and Car Accidents

The largest percentage of distracted drivers are under the age of 20

Out of 94 percent of teen drivers who agree that texting and driving is dangerous behavior, only 35 percent have admitted they were exhibiting such behavior regardless of the dangers.

There is an even greater number of those who do the same-nearly one-fourth of all teen drivers sends at least one text message while driving a car.

This is the reason why teens are 4 times more likely to get distracted by their Smartphones and get involved in fatal crashes than adult drivers. And out of all teen car accidents, 21 percent were in fact caused by the use of Smartphones.

How Drivers Perceive Using Smartphones While Driving

In the National Survey from 2012, nearly 48 percent of all drivers admitted to answering calls while driving a car, and out of the 58 percent kept driving while talking on the phone. Out of all drivers participating in the survey, 14 percent openly admitted to reading text messages and emails while they were driving, but the curious thing is that all drivers supported the laws that ban the use of Smartphones behind the wheel.

Pedestrian Smartphone Use Danger

Using Smartphones while driving is not the only danger in traffic. If you are a pedestrian you are equally participating in the traffic like any other vehicle, and if you are texting while crossing a road you increase the risk of a car accident.

The statistic shows that pedestrians who use their phone while crossing the street are 4 times less likely to look both ways or obey traffic signalization. It also shows that pedestrians who use Smartphones take additional two seconds to cross the street.

What to Do If You Get Injured By A Texting Driver?

The problem with texting and driving accidents is that it is really hard to prove that the other driver was distracted and using their Smartphone at the time an accident occurred.

This is especially troubling for people who did not cause the accident but have sustained serious injuries as a result. The best way to get compensated for those injuries would be to hire an experienced car accident attorney who will help you prove liability, build a strong case and make sure you get the settlement you deserve.