The Dangers of Texting and Driving

Sending and reading text messages is one of the most dangerous things you can do when you’re behind the wheel of your vehicle.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that around nine people are killed and another 1,000 are injured every day in the U.S. due to distracted drivers. Although young drivers are the most likely to text while driving of all age groups, it’s a problem that affects all demographics—and it puts everyone on Louisiana’s roadways at risk.

Texting Involves 3 Types of Distractions

Anything that distracts drivers can increase their risks of being involved in accidents, but texting while driving is uniquely dangerous because it involves all three types of distractions:

1. Visual—Sending and reading text messages requires taking your eyes off the road for seconds at a time. If you’re traveling at highway or interstate speeds, that’s enough time for your vehicle to travel the length of a football field.
2. Manual—Unlocking your phone and then reading or writing a text message requires the use of your hands. And when your hands are on your phone, they aren’t on your steering wheel, and that puts you at risk of losing control of your vehicle.
3. Cognitive—Safe driving requires focusing on the road ahead, maintaining a safe and steady speed, and tracking the movements of other vehicles around you. When you’re texting, you can’t devote your full attention to driving, and that can lead to accidents.

To reduce your risks, activate your phone’s “driving mode.” You’ll still receive text messages, but you won’t receive alerts until you’ve reached your destination.

Injured by a Distracted Driver? You Deserve Compensation.

While you can do everything in your power to decrease your own risks of causing a crash, you can’t control the behaviors of other drivers. However, you can pursue compensation after an accident that wasn’t your fault—especially if the other driver was distracted.

Contact the Baton Rouge auto accident attorneys at Dudley DeBosier Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation. We’re here to help.

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