If you struggle to put your phone down, you are not alone. However, you still know that there is one place you should never pull out your phone — behind the driver’s wheel. A lot of drivers in Georgia do not treat the responsibility of driving as seriously as you do though, which is why texting and driving is such a serious problem.
Maybe you are familiar with the image of the driver in the lane next to you staring at his or her phone instead of the road. If so, you might not even be that surprised to learn that cellphones are involved in 14% of all fatal car accidents. In 2018 alone, car accidents involving cellphones killed 4,637 people.
The problem with multitasking
Living in a fast-paced society means trying to balance a million and one things simultaneously. There is a big difference between the type of multitasking one might use when checking work emails while taking children to the park and the type of distracted behavior that is texting and driving. A lot of people think of texting and driving as just another type of multitasking though.
Age plays a factor in confidence in multitasking. For example, a 2020 survey found that drivers between the ages of 55 and 65 are more likely to believe they can multitask moderately well compared to drivers between the ages of 25 and 34. When asked about whether they multitask extremely well, younger drivers are actually more confident in their abilities.
Who is to blame?
A 2018 survey also looked at how age plays into texting and driving. Unfortunately, the results are not great. While certain age groups are more likely to use cellphones while driving — specifically those between the ages of 20 and 29 — virtually every age group is engaged in the practice. The survey concluded that a third of all drivers aged 18 to 64 admit that they actively text and email.
It is not just texting that is the problem either. Many drivers are now spending their time behind the wheel just surfing the web, as if they do not have anything better to do with their time. Around 20% of all drivers say they do this, including teenagers
Texting and driving is not safe
Glancing at your phone might seem innocent enough, but it is never safe. Texting drivers have their eyes off the road for roughly 400% more time than drivers who keep off their phones. Phone calls while driving are dangerous too, and yet roughly 7% of drivers can be found making a call at any given point in time.
Recovering from a texting and driving accident can be a lengthy and painful process. Maybe you are out of work and struggling to keep up with your medical bills too. If so, you may want to explore your options for recovering compensation for your damages. In Georgia, this is often accomplished through a successfully pursued personal injury claim.