More Than 660,000 Distracted Drivers on the Road at Any Time of Day

A new government study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed an alarming finding: at any time during daylight hours, as many as 660,000 drivers are distracted by a mobile device behind the wheel in America.

During recent years, many campaigns have been launched by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other agencies and organizations. Additionally, news coverage has covered texting while driving tragedies in depth. Despite such campaigns, distracted driving numbers continue to rise.

A Contradiction Between Belief and Behavior for Many Drivers

A survey by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates contradictory beliefs when evaluating their own behavior in light of the behavior in others.

The majority of people who participated in the survey said that they would support a legislative ban on using a cellphone and texting while driving. Additionally, 76 percent of the respondents stated that they would probably mention a driver’s texting while driving if they were a passenger in the vehicle.

However, the results were much different when the same drivers honestly assessed their own behaviors. For example, nearly half of the respondents admitted that they answered their phones while they were driving for at least some of the time. Additionally, 58 percent of the respondents admitted that they continued driving after they picked up their cell phones. Another 14 percent of the respondents stated that they text or email while they are driving.

Are Distracted Driving Statistics Beginning to Decline?

The answers from the survey indicate a decline in safe driving behavior compared to last year. For example, in the 2012 survey, only 40 percent of respondents stated that they initiated or accepted phone calls while they were driving, compared with 48 percent of respondents in 2013.

Also, only 10 percent of respondents stated that they texted or emailed while driving in 2012, compared to the 14 percent of the respondents in the 2013 survey. The study suggests that individuals may be able to recognize risky driving behavior in others, but they may not be able to recognize their own risky behavior.

If You’ve Been Seriously Injured by a Distracted Driver, Our Experienced Car Accident Lawyers May be Able to Help

Texting while driving and other forms of distracted driving cause thousands of car accidents to occur every year.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a distracted driver, a Tampa accident lawyer may be able to help. Call Abrahamson & Uiterwyk today at 1-800-538-4878 to speak with our injury law team for a free case evaluation.