Over 50% of all Car Crashes Caused by Cell Phone Distraction

Nearly every driver knows that cell phone use can lead to car accidents. Yet, the majority of drivers still continue to use their phones while driving. From texting to snapping selfies, cell phone use while driving shows no signs of slowing down. Just how dangerous are cell phones in automobiles? A new study revealed that cell phone use is actually responsible for up to 52% of all car accidents.

The study, performed by Cambridge Mobile Telematics, found that 52% of all car accidents were the direct result of cell phone distraction. Researchers reviewed hundreds of thousands of car accidents and found that cell phone distraction was a bigger cause of car accidents than initially thought.

One of the key takeaways from the study was that when cell phone use led to a car accident, the average length of distraction was 135 seconds! These distractions often occurred at high speeds. In fact, 29% occurred at speeds exceeding 56 miles per hour.

According to the National Safety Council, road fatalities rose by 14% since 2015. This is the biggest two-year increase in the last 50 years. Sadly, teenagers are many of those fatalities. In fact, 11 teenagers die every day in texting and driving related crashes.

So how did states that have banned handheld cell phone use while driving perform in this study? The average duration of phone distraction per 100 miles of driving in states with laws against all handheld use was 3.17 minutes. In states that had no laws against any handheld use, that number climbed to 3.82 minutes.

What Can You Do to Prevent Deadly Distracted Driving Accidents?

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and safety experts everywhere are encouraging drivers to put their phones away while driving. In order to reduce the temptation to use your cell phone while driving, consider the following:

• Place your phone on silent mode
• Put your phone in airplane mode or turn off completely
• Put your phone out of reach in the trunk or glovebox
• Download an app that can prevent you from texting while you are driving

Contact Our Louisville Car Accident Lawyers

If you or someone you love is involved in an accident with a distracted driver, it is important to discuss your case with an experienced Louisville car accident lawyer immediately. Your lawyer will need to review and investigate all aspects of your accident to determine if distracted driving was responsible for your accident and your injuries. To learn more about your legal rights, contact experienced Louisville, Lexington and Southern Indiana car accident attorney, Kevin Sciantarelli, today for a free consultation. Call 1-855-538-4611 or fill out our online contact form for more information.