Continuing from 6 Distracted Driving Myths Debunked for Distracted Driving Awareness Month (Pt. 1), here, we will present the facts behind more common misconceptions about distracted driving.
More Distracted Driving Myths You Shouldn’t Believe
Myth 3: Talking on cellphones while driving is the same as talking to a passenger in my vehicle.
Do you think that talking on cellphones is the same as talking to someone in your car? If so, think again! Here are more distracted driving myths dispelled.
Fact: This is one of the more misleading distracted driving myths because, on the surface, it seems to hold some logic. However, here’s why it’s absolutely false – and why talking on cellphones is far more dangerous and risky than speaking to someone else within a vehicle:
- Motorists talking on cellphones are far more likely to be oblivious to changing driving conditions.
- When motorists are speaking to someone in their vehicle, there is another pair of eyes and ears to perceive the changing driving conditions and keep motorists alert to them. What’s more is that, in these conversations, passengers in the vehicle will adjust when they speak based on the changing driving conditions (while those on the other end of a cellphone conversation won’t).
Myth 4: Drunk driving is far more of a problem and a risk than distracted driving.
Fact: While both drunk driving and distracted driving are prominent threats to public safety on the roads, distracted driving may be just as big of a problem as – if not a bigger problem than – drunk driving. This is because:
- Drunk driving in the U.S. has been actually on the decline in recent years, dropping by about 30 percent since 2007 (according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
- From 2011 to 2012 (the most current year for which complete data is available), the incidence of distracted driving accidents resulting in injuries increased by about 9 percent.
- Motorists who text while driving are about six times more likely to cause a traffic accident than drunk drivers.
What all of this ends of meaning is that:
- Distracted driving needs to be taken as seriously as drunk driving among motorists.
- Just as drunk driving public safety campaigns seem to be working (as reflected in the stats noted above), campaigns like Distracted Driving Awareness Month will hopefully also prove to be as effective in the coming years in curbing this form of driver negligence.
Don’t miss the upcoming conclusion to this blog for the truth behind some more common distracted driving myths.
A Denver Car Accident Lawyer at Cederberg Law Can Help You
Have you or a loved one been injured in a car accident caused by a distracted or negligent driver? If so, contact a Denver car accident lawyer at Cederberg Law to find out more about your best options for financial recovery.
To find out more about how we can help you, let’s meet for a no cost, no obligations initial consultation. You can set up this meeting by calling us at 303-499-0449 or emailing us using the form at the side of the screen.
In addition to offering free initial consults and contingency fee options, our lawyers make hospital visits to ensure that you have access to the legal support you need – whenever you need it.
