How Many Accidents Are Caused By Texting And Driving?

The invention of the smartphone made things much more dangerous for other drivers on the road. Drivers were already bad enough. Now, they have another powerful pull behind the wheel that many cannot resist. The number of distracted driving injuries has skyrocketed, as everyone now has the ability to text whenever they please.

According to the American Automobile Association, drivers who text while driving double the risk of a car accident. This is not just multi-car crashes. Many texting drivers will lose control of their cars and leave the roadway. It is even more dangerous than driving drunk.

Over a Million Accidents Each Year

There are some estimates that texting and smartphone use cause 1.6 million car accidents each year. These crashes cause over 4,000 fatalities and many more serious injuries. In fact, nearly 400,000 people each year suffer some sort of injury in these crashes. Distracted driving crashes are so common now that roughly a quarter of all car accidents across the country involve the use of a cell phone.

Distracted driving is rapidly catching up with drunk driving as the leading cause of vehicular deaths in the U.S. The problem is only getting worse as awareness campaigns fail to get the message of the dangers across. Graphic television advertisements are not convincing people to put down their phones while driving. Even steeper penalties for texting while driving are not making much of a dent in distracted driving accidents.

Rock Hill Car Accident Attorneys

Drivers who text while driving could be considered negligent in a car accident. If you have been injured in an accident where the other driver was distracted, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Call the Elrod Pope Law Firm at (803) 599-3080 or contact us online to discuss your case.

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