Cell phones are involved in about 1.6 million car crashes each year. The worst part is that all of those accidents are entirely preventable.
Everyone gets busy and phones are a convenient way to communicate, but there is no issue so important that it’s worth risking lives. In many states, texting while driving is even illegal. So, not only do you risk property damage, injury, and death, but also expensive fines and jail time.
If you or a loved one still needs convincing to put the phone down, take a second to read the 5 terrifying texting and driving facts below.
- It Kills Teens
Because of their age, teenagers are less responsible and more likely to make impulsive — sometimes dangerous — decisions. It’s a natural part of the maturing process. However, this means they are at high risk for texting while driving.
In a single day, 11 teenagers die from texting while driving. The social pressure to respond to others quickly affects teens more than other age groups. It pressures them to text while driving despite being aware of the danger.
- It Takes 5 Seconds
Most text messages take at least 5 seconds to type out and send. That may sound like no time at all, but if you’re traveling at 55 miles per hour, it’s about the length of a football field. That is a long distance to go without looking at the road.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that you can only afford to look away for two seconds while driving at 70 miles per hour. It takes some math to figure out, but the distance involved in distracted driving is much greater than most people realize.
- It’s Worse Than Drunk Driving
It’s common to need an accident attorney after an episode of drunk driving. It’s even more common, however, to need one after texting and driving. This is because texting and driving causes even more accidents than drunk driving.
Again, the NHTSA did their research and found that texting while driving is 6 times more likely to cause an accident than drunk driving.
- It Makes You Elderly
So, texting while driving is worse than being drunk. It’s also killing more teens than guns. In fact, it can even age you.
That’s right — texting while driving reduces your reaction time to that of a 70-year-old. That’s yet another reason to have driving privileges revoked for doing it.
- It Disables People
Texting and driving doesn’t just ruin lives by killing, but by disabling people. More than 300,000 severe injuries are caused by distracted driving. Is sending a text worth losing mobility? Being confined to a wheelchair? Potentially losing a limb?
More Texting and Driving Facts
There are over 3,000 deaths per year that could be easily prevented by putting the phone away. Sadly, this number is growing every year. If an emergency does occur while driving, drivers should pull over to use the phone. This protects your life and the life of everyone around you.
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