Saturday, May 25, 2013

Reality of Texting, talking, and surfing while driving


Reality of Texting, talking, and surfing while driving

  I decided to focus on the reality of texting, talking, and surfing  while driving for this week’s blog. Why? This is a subject that affects us all whether we walk, drive, or use public transportation. The risk of being involved in an accident caused by a cellular or mobile device is becoming increasingly more likely!

In 2011 23% of all car accidents involved cell phones

       ( That comes out to 1.3 Million Crashes)

Did you know that an average of 5 seconds passes without your eyes on the road when you are sending or receiving a text message.

( If traveling at the rate of 55 mph that is the length of a football field)

Do I have your attention yet? No keep reading!

82 % of American Teenagers between the ages 16-17 own cell phones. I felt that number was shockingly low!

13 % of driver's age 18-20 involved in accidents admit to texting or talking on mobile devices at the time of the crash.

34% admit they have texted while driving.

52% admit they have talked on a cell phone while driving.

Teens who text while driving. Spend approximately 10% of their driving time outside their lane.

(It is estimated that Americans spend approximately 3 hours a day driving that comes out to 18 minutes spent outside their lane a day)

Disturbing? Keep reading for more hair rising statistics

77% of young adults say they are very or somewhat confident that they can safely text while driving

 

55% of young adult drivers claim it’s easy to text while driving

 

48% of young drivers have seen their parents drive while talking on a cell phone

 

15% of young drivers have seen their parent text while driving

 

27% of adults have sent or received text messages while driving

 

48% of kids age 12-17 have been in a car with a driver that was texting

 

Did you know?

Texting makes an accident 23 times more likely

Dialing a cell phone is 2.8 times more likely

Talking or listening while driving 1.3 times more likely

Reaching for the device is 1.4 times more likely

 

1 out of 5 drivers of all ages confessed to surfing the web while driving

 

How they justify it?

 

1. Reading a text is safer than composing and sending one.

 

2. They hold the phone near the windshield for better visibility.

 

3. They increase following distance.

 

4. They text only at a stop sign or red light.

 

Videos
 
 

 

State Laws:

Hawaii became the 40th state to join the ban for text messaging for all drivers!

40 states The District of Columbia and Guam ban text messaging for all drivers

This includes:

 

Oregon                  Washington

California               Nevada

Alaska                    Utah

 

Idaho                      Wyoming

 

Colorado                 Kansas

 

Nebraska               North Dakota

 

Minnesota                Iowa

 

Arkansas                 Louisiana

 

Wisconsin                Illinois

 

Tennessee              Alabama

 

Georgia                   North Carolina

 

Virginia                    Kentucky

 

Indiana                     Ohio

 

West Virginia           Maryland

 

Delaware                 Pennsylvania

 

New Jersey             Connecticut

 

Rhode Island           Massachusetts

 

Maine                       New Hampshire

 

Vermont                   New York

 

11 States, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from using handheld cell phones while driving

Which includes:

Washington             Oregon

California                Nevada

West Virginia          New York

New Jersey            Maryland

Hawaii                    Delaware

Connecticut

 

 

States with Partial or secondary laws regarding cell phone usage while driving

New Mexico                Texas

Oklahoma                South Dakota

Missouri                   Mississippi

 

Shockingly there are still states that currently have no laws restricting the usage of mobile devices while driving!

 

States with no laws or bans on cell phone usage while driving

Montana         Arizona

Florida         South Carolina

 

Technology for parents

 

DriveCam

Monitors a driver's activity and provides real time feedback with video


AT&T Drive Mode

Free anti-texting and driving mobile app for Android & blackberry


Text-Free Driving pledge

Teens and parents can also take the text free driving pledge


I hope this has inspired many to not engage in any type of distractive driving! I will be taking the next two weeks off from Blogging as I buckle down to finish the first draft of my Novel. When I come back I will be doing a piece on Human Trafficking which is another issue near and dear to my heart!

 

Happy Memorial Day

                                  &

                                        Drive safe!

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