Every year, approximately 1.19 million people die from road traffic accidents worldwide, according to the World Health Organization’s 2023 Global Status Report on Road Safety. This translates to approximately 3,260 deaths daily due to preventable causes including distracted driving, impaired driving, and failure to follow traffic safety rules. Road traffic injuries remain a leading cause of death globally, with vulnerable road users like pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists accounting for more than half (53%) of all fatalities.
You know what else is surprising?
One of the top culprits responsible for road accidents is something that you have with you 24/7. In fact, most of you sleep with it every night.
That’s right — we’re talking about your mobile phone.
Texting and driving is one of the leading causes of road accidents all over the world. In 2013 alone, there were 341,000 motor vehicle accidents that involved texting. Now that we use our mobile phones for different purposes other than texting — navigation, shopping, taking photos, sending photos — we become more and more susceptible to distracted driving.
What are the negative effects of texting and driving?
With the way so many continue texting and driving, you would think that this is something that has very little impact on road safety. Texting while driving should be treated seriously because it affects us in so many ways…
You can get into accidents. When you’re driving, you have to make sure that 100% of your attention is on the road. In short— defensive driving. Some of the worst cases of accidents that Attorney Big Al and his associates have ever handled are caused by lapses in judgment or being out of focus. Being distracted by your mobile phone means your attention is divided between the road and whatever you are doing with your mobile phone. Just by reading, sending, or even opening a text message, you decrease the concentration that should be dedicated to driving by 50%. Who wouldn’t expect accidents to be the result?
You can hurt, or worse, kill other people. Another common type of case that Attorney Big Al handles is people who were hurt by those who text and driver. We’re not just talking about people who were on the other end of a vehicular collision. We’re also referring to passengers and mere pedestrians, too! So, the next time you pick up your phone while driving, remember that you are not just threatening your own life, but the lives of the other people in the same car and on the same road around you.
It can affect your insurance rates. Still not convinced that texting and driving can do more harm than good? Attorney Big Al has an idea — why don’t you check what your insurance provider thinks? When you get involved in accidents, or even get a ticket for texting while driving, we are almost certain that your insurance rates will increase.
There are alternatives to texting on the road. With all kinds of technology available to us now, we’re sure you can do better than texting while driving! First of all, there are already ways to “read” messages without having to take your eyes away from the road. In most cases, your mobile phone can read your messages to you. You can even dictate a reply. If it’s an emergency and you think you cannot deal with it using your phone’s voice assistant feature, then just pull over and sort it out when you’re not in control of the steering wheel. It will just take a few minutes.
Texting slows down your reflexes more than alcohol does. Studies have proven that texting while driving can actually delay your reaction to accidents. In one experiment, the reflexes of a person who was driving and texting was found to be slower than that of a slightly intoxicated driver.
It’s harder to feel the urgency of avoiding distracted driving if no accident has ever happened to you.
Yet.
Distracted driving due to use of mobile phones is not a matter to be taken lightly, as survivors of distracted driving accidents can attest to. Don’t wait for these accidents to happen to you before doing something to prevent them.
If you ever get involved in an accident related to texting and driving — even if it’s a no-fault auto accident — make sure to call someone who can advise you on what to do. Call Attorney Big Al and his associates by dialing 1-800-HURT-123.
Don’t waste more of your time and make an intelligent move. Barzakay Law Firm will fight for you and give you the compensation you deserve. Contact us.