February 11, 2012
/24-7PressRelease/ -- In the biggest federal agency recommendation to date, the National Transportation Safety Board recently recommended that states ban all cellphone use by drivers. The recommendation was based on a decade of investigations of car accidents caused by distracted driving.
The NTSB recommended that states ban drivers from using cellphones, including hands-free devices such as wireless headsets as well as voice-activated systems integrated into newer vehicles to combat the dangers of
distracted driving. The board stated that drivers become just as distracted while using wireless headsets as they do when holding a cellphone to their ear.
The agency offered its recommendation after reviewing evidence from their investigations of car accidents where electronic distractions were found to be the main contributing factor. In addition to this evidence, technological advances in cellphones that allow people to send e-mails, compose text messages, watch movies and play games on their devices contributed to the agency's recommendation to ban cellphone use.
States are not required to adopt the NTSB recommendation to ban cellphone use for all drivers. However, many polls have found that while people have continued using cellphones while driving, they find using electronic devices while driving is very dangerous and contributes to many car accidents.
Dangers of Using Your Cellphone while Driving
Distractions are everywhere for drivers -- other vehicles, maps, weather conditions and billboards are just a few -- but cellphones remain a consistent threat due to the way technology and social media impact our everyday lives. Distracted driving contributed to an estimated 3,092 fatal highway accidents last year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Despite technological advances such as hands-free devices, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found evidence that talking even on a hands-free cellphone "impairs driving and increases the risk of having a crash."
Investigations have found that texting and talking on cellphones while driving have increased despite state bans on distracted driving. According to a recent government survey of over 6,000 drivers, roughly two out of 10 drivers admitted to sending text messages or emails while driving; industry experts estimate that the numbers are actually much higher.
Cellphone use by drivers is not likely to stop any time soon despite evidence that it is dangerous and contributes to thousands of accidents a year. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident involving a distracted driver, contact an experienced personal injury attorney in your area to discuss your case and learn more about your legal rights.
Article provided by Riddle & Brantley, LLP
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