In California, a recent study released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety stated that more drivers are using their cellphones to read and send emails in lieu of talking. In addition, drivers are texting messages and performing other miscellaneous actions on their cellphones. Although the percentage of drivers using hand-held phones has declined, the number of distracted drivers has increased. According to the author of the study, people are becoming more distracted while driving their vehicles.
A large percentage of distracted drivers manipulate their cellphones. Recent state laws regarding talking on cellphones while driving have not deterred drivers from using their phones in other ways. The author of the study, who is also employed by the Highway Loss Date Institute as a senior research scientist, mentioned that cellphone usage while driving poses dangers to society. Kidd added that a distracted driver using their cellphone is apt to cause a fatal car accident.
Statistics show that a distracted driver has a 66 percent greater chance of causing a fatality. According to the institute, approximately 800 car crashes occurred in the United States in 2017. The majority of these accidents was caused by distracted drivers who were sending emails or texting while driving. The report stated that it is dangerous for drivers to use cellphones because phone usage has a negative effect on the brain’s ability to understand road conditions.
Distracted driving can cause a victim to endure physical and intellectual disabilities for the rest of their life. A driver causing an accident while using a cellphone may be guilty of negligence, or acting in a negligent manner that caused harm to another individual. A person who is suffering from a permanent disability caused by a distracted driver may wish to seek legal counsel.