The Dangers of Texting while Driving
Most people have been warned about the dangers of texting and driving. Despite these warnings, countless drivers fail to put away their cell phones while they are on the road. Many seem to feel that these warnings do not apply to them. Unfortunately, statistics do not lie. Texting while driving is a hazardous activity that plays a role in causing car accidents each year. In addition to damages to the vehicles involved, these auto accidents can cause serious injury, or even death. It is important that drivers be aware of the dangers of texting while driving. Too many auto accidents involving texting in the Orange County area have proven to be devastatingly damaging for auto accident attorney Sean M. Burke’s clients.
Just How Dangerous Is Texting While Driving?
In the digital world that we live in, people are used to being constantly connected, and texting has become second nature for most people. As a result, even when hearing the statistics regarding texting and auto accidents, many feel that their skill and speed with a cell phone leaves them immune to these dangers. Unfortunately, statistics make it clear that these dangers are very real. At a minimum, the average text takes about five seconds to type. Although this may not seem like a long amount of time to have your eyes off the road, a car traveling just 55 mph could cross the length of a football field in that amount of time. As if that is not scary enough, below are some more statistics that point to the dangers of texting while driving:
- Roughly 25 percent of annual auto accidents involved the use of a cell phone, which amounts to over 1.5 million accidents each year
- Texting while driving has been shown to make an accident 23 times more likely to occur
- Each year, over 300,000 injuries occur as the result of car accidents that involved texting
- An average of 11 teens are killed each day as the result of auto accidents that are caused by texting while driving
Perhaps one of the greatest dangers of texting while driving is that, despite these numbers, drivers continue to text while driving. This problems is especially rampant among teenage drivers, with roughly a quarter of them admitting to answering at least one text each time they drive. All this amounts to an overall increase in the risk of an auto accident, even for those who are choosing to set aside their phones while on the road.
What to Do if You’ve Been Injured
Texting while driving is a dangerous habit and is actually illegal in the state of California. If you have been injured as the result of an auto accident that was caused by texting, you have the right to seek financial compensation for damages suffered. Attorney Sean M. Burke can fight to ensure that you are compensated to the maximum potential.
Contact Us
If you are interested in learning more about your right to compensation for damages and how to go about collecting that compensation, contact us at your earliest convenience. We are happy to discuss the details of your case and advise you on the best course of legal action. We look forward to hearing from you!
