Texting and driving levels rise sharply during the holiday season. An analysis by Bloomberg News shows a nearly 30% increase in texting while driving between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Pennsylvania’s distracted driving law prohibits texting while driving, but the state has no restrictions over talking on a cellphone while operating a motor vehicle.
Too many drivers put you at risk
Despite laws that punish distracted drivers and public service campaigns that warn against the dangers, a significant number of drivers still use or look at their phones while driving. Research shows one out of every 100 drivers is distracted nearly half of the time they are behind the wheel. Using data from the mobile telemetric platform TrueMotion, Bloomberg reports:
- 1% of all drivers are distracted 45% to 50% of the time
- 5% of drivers are distracted 25% to 30% of the time
- 10% of drivers are distracted 15% to 20% of the time
- 20% of drivers are distracted 10% of the time
‘Tis the season for distracted driving crashes
In 2017, 3,166 people died in the U.S. as a result of distracted drivers, and 14% of those deaths involved cellphones. Insurance claims rise dramatically on Black Friday and remain above average during the holidays.
In addition, hundreds of people are killed each year in parking lots and garages near shopping centers, and thousands more are injured. Experts say drivers are usually in a hurry to get to their next location as they check off their long to-do lists.
So many distractions
The National Safety Council surveyed drivers over their actions while driving in parking lots and found some alarming results:
- 63% adjust their GPS and climate control systems
- 56% read and send texts
- 52% check their social media accounts
- 50% manage their email accounts, reading and sending messages
- 49% watch videos on their phones or take pictures
Taking action against distracted drivers
Thousands of people are killed or seriously injured by distracted drivers each year. Many suffer permanent or long-lasting injuries causing massive financial consequences, including medical expenses, lost wages and other related costs. If you have been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence, an experienced and aggressive personal injury attorney here in Pennsylvania will fight for the compensation you deserve.
