Distracted driving is a known danger on the roads in Connecticut and throughout the nation. States are trying to find methods to discourage the practice from education to penalties. However, drivers are still using their smartphones when behind the wheel at a troublesome rate and it is causing accidents with serious injuries and fatalities. New information is constantly being accrued to determine the scope of the problem and a recent study from Zendrive shows that the level of distracted driving is far worse than previously thought.
In its research, monitoring was done on 4.5 million drivers. The time frame was from December 2017 to February 2018. Just over seven billion miles were covered in that time. It was found that around two-thirds of those who were monitored used their devices at least one time. They were also found to use them for nearly four minutes. This was a rise of five percent from the statistics in 2017. This was a problem throughout the country as there was an increase in smartphone use while driving in every state except for Vermont.
The high point of cellphone use behind the wheel is at about 4 p.m. It is believed that an average of 75 percent of drivers are looking at their phones during that time. After that, the statistics decline. Drivers who are using their devices right before midnight were found to spend the longest time doing so at more than four minutes. People who had an iPhone were using the device for a longer period when compared to those who have an Android. It is not just texting and driving that sparks the distractions, but people who are using social media, emails and surfing the web.
Those who are on the road will inevitably see people who are behaving as a distracted driver. Despite attempts to reduce its frequency and studies to detail the danger associated with it, it continues to be a problem. When there are car accidents because of a distracted driver, it can negatively impact a person’s life in myriad ways with medical expenses, lost time at work and other problems. A legal filing is essential to being adequately compensated. A lawyer who is experienced in investigating distracted driver accidents can help.
Source: Bloomberg.com, “Texting Drivers Are Making American Roads Even Worse,” Kyle Stock, April 10, 2018
