A type of car accident case that is becoming increasingly more common is cases in which the negligent driver was texting behind the wheel. With mobile devices becoming a greater part of people’s everyday lives, these types of accidents are only going to increase.

Therefore, it’s important to ensure that everyone is aware of the dangers of texting while driving so that we can at least prevent some of these accidents from occurring. Consider the following statistics:

• In 2010, driver distraction was the primary cause of 18 percent of all fatal car accidents or accidents resulting in injury, with 3,092 people total killed and 416,000 total injured (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).
• 40 percent of all American teens responded that they have been present in a vehicle while the driver used a cell phone in an irresponsible way (Pew survey).
• Text messaging makes the risk of an accident 23 times greater than driving while not distracted (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute).
• 11 percent of drivers between the ages of 18 and 20 that were in car crashes and survived admitted that they were either sending or reading a text at the time of the crash (FCC).

These are revealing and startling statistics, and the real frightening part is that even if you are driving attentively and keeping your phone stowed away, there’s no guarantee that other people on the road are.

We need to put an end to this reckless behavior while behind the wheel. If you have been in a car accident caused by a driver who was distracted by their phone, it’s important to contact a personal injury attorney with Mudd, Mudd & Fitzgerald, P.A. in La Plata.