Letters from North
America
Aside
from picking on the
United States Post
Office, I suppose my
next biggest gripe would
have to be people
driving while doing
things with their cell
phones. This past week I
watched a news story
concerning the man who
invented cell phones.
His was certainly a
marvelous invention and
it’s hard to remember
when we didn’t have
them. Obviously these
have become a part of
our daily lives over the
past twenty five or so
years, but I wonder how
many of us are familiar
with these statistics?
* Talking on a cell
phone causes nearly 25%
of car accidents.
* One-fifth of
experienced adult
drivers in the United
States send text
messages while driving.
* In 2008 almost 6,000
people were killed and a
half-million were
injured in crashes
related to driver
distraction.
* At any given time
during daylight hours in
2008, more than 800,000
vehicles were driven by
someone using a
hand-held cell phone.
* 4 out of every 5
accidents (80%) are
attributed to distracted
drivers. In contrast,
drunk drivers account
for roughly 1 out of 3
(33%) of all accidents
nationally.
* Texting while driving
is about 6 times more
likely to result in an
accident than driving
while intoxicated.
* People who text while
driving are 23% more
likely to be in a car
accident.
* A study of dangerous
driver behavior released
in January 2007 by
Nationwide Mutual
Insurance Co. found that
of 1,200 surveyed
drivers, 73% talk on
cell phones while
driving. The same 2007
survey found that 19% of
motorists say they text
message while driving.
* In 2005, the National
Highway Traffic Safety
Administration found
that 10% of drivers are
on handheld or hands
free cell phones at any
given hour of the day.
* A study conducted by
the Insurance Institute
for Highway Safety
Motorists found that
motorists who use cell
phones while driving are
four times more likely
to get into crashes
serious enough to injure
themselves.
* In 2002, the Harvard
Center for Risk Analysis
calculated that 2,600
people die each year as
a result of using cell
phones while driving.
They estimated that
another 330,000 are
injured.
* According to the Human
Factors and Ergonomics
Society, drivers talking
on cell phones are 18%
slower to react to brake
lights. They also take
17% longer to regain the
speed they lost when
they braked.
* Of cell phone users
that were surveyed, 85%
said they use their
phones occasionally when
driving, 30% use their
phones while driving on
the highway, and 27% use
them during half or more
of the trips they take.
* 84% of cell phone
users stated that they
believe using a cell
phone while driving
increases the risk of
being in an accident.
* The majority of
Americans believe that
talking on the phone and
texting are two of the
most dangerous behaviors
that occur behind the
wheel. Still, as many as
81% of drivers admit to
making phone calls while
driving.
* The number of crashes
and near-crashes linked
to dialing is nearly
identical to the number
associated with talking
or listening. Dialing is
more dangerous but
occurs less often than
talking or listening.
* Studies have found
that texting while
driving causes a 400%
increase in time spent
with eyes off the road.
These are pretty
sobering numbers aren’t
they? Yet every day that
I am in my car I can
just about tell who is
dialing or texting while
trying to drive. First
of they tend to weave
from one lane to another
or sit through he lights
after they have changed.
How many times have you
seen someone try to
drive, talk on the phone
and each a donut or
drink coffee at the same
time? I know you have,
so have I.
The number that got me
was the one that said
more accidents are
caused by distracted
drivers than by drunk
drivers. We don’t need
either. With more young
drivers on the road as
well as older (more
mature) drivers, we all
need to keep these
figures in mind and not
become a statistic or
add to the ever growing
list.
No ones life (yours or
theirs) is worth a phone
call. We all need to be
more careful and drive
more responsibly.
Comments got to
www.pearyperry.com.
Complaints go nowhere.
