Texting while driving should probably be listed as an example of suicidal actions. Over the years, a growing number of people have been involved in ghastly car accidents due to texting while driving.
The act of texting while driving is extremely dangerous and irresponsible, but many young drivers, as backed by statistics, still engage in it far more than the older generation.
In this age of social media, chatting and commenting on posts on social media sites has increased this danger. Here are some terrifying facts on texting while driving:
1. Six Times More Likely to Be Involved in Accidents
A study has shown that people who text while driving 6 times more likely to get into an accident than those who drive while intoxicated. This means that you are less likely to get into an accident after having too much to drink than while texting behind the wheel.
2. It Takes 5 Seconds to Type a Short Text Message
It takes an average of 5 seconds for a driver to type out a text message. But if you are on 88.5 kilometres/hr and look down to text for five seconds, you would have driven a length that is equivalent to a football field.
Moreover, the maximum amount of time that a driver can safely look away from the road is only two seconds, according to the Journal of Adolescent Health.
3. Eleven Teenagers Die Every Year From Texting While Driving
Do you know the number of teenagers that die daily from texting while driving? A study revealed that 11 teenagers die every day from texting while driving.
4. Mobile Phones Lead to 6 Million Accidents Every Year
According to a report from the National Safety Council, cell phone use while driving leads to 6 million accidents per year.
5. Distracted Drivers Are 8 Times More Likely to be Involved in Collisions
Drivers who are distracted by texting are far more prone to having accidents than their non-distracted counterparts. Such drivers are 8 times more likely to be involved in a collision.
6. Millions of Accidents Are Caused by Phone Usage
In the United States, 64% of all the vehicle accidents each year are caused by cell phone usage while driving. That’s a total of 1.6 million accidents.
7. Thousands of Drivers Use Their Phones While Driving
To show how addicted people are to their cell phone, a study revealed that 660,000 drivers were using their cell phones while driving at any given time since 2010.
8. Pedestrians Get Killed Too
A shocking 520 pedestrians were killed by drivers who were distracted in the United States in 2014.
9. Thousands Get Maimed From Distracted Driving
Another 421,000 people in the United States are maimed by distracted drivers each year.
10. Young Drivers Are Pressurised to Reply Text Messages
Nine in ten teenagers expect a reply to a text or email within five minutes or less, which puts pressure on them to respond while driving.
Final Thoughts on Texting and Driving
Texting and driving stand out as one of the most dangerous forms of distracted driving. According to statistics, the average text sent or read in a car takes a driver’s eyes and attention away from the road. This is enough time to get into a fatal accident.
Don’t put your life or the lives of many others at risk. Distractions behind the steering have claimed thousands of lives. Don’t be reckless. Keep your phone away while driving. You can always get back to your text messages and missed call but you can never get your life back if you lose it. Drive safe.