What would you say if you were asked whether driving while intoxicated is more dangerous than driving while texting? Would it surprise you to learn that driving while texting is 6 times more dangerous than driving while intoxicated? It’s true! The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has documented that driving while texting is the same as driving after consuming four beers. Sadly, driving while “intexticated” has become the new DUI.
Many drivers assume they can safely text while driving, but numbers don’t lie. Nearly 25% of all traffic accidents are caused by texting while driving. Eleven teens die EVERY day due to texting while driving (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Fatality Facts). According to the National Highway Safety Association (NHTSA), “at any given daylight moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving.” This accounts for the 1,600,000 accidents and 330,000 injuries that occur every year due to driving while texting.
Bottom line? Wouldn’t you want to prevent an accident that you knew was bound to happen? If so, put your cell phone out of sight while you drive. It can wait. Nearly all of those people on your contact list are people you love. Protect them. Protect the persons driving in the lanes next to you. Who knows? Doing so may save a life, perhaps even your own.
If you or someone you know is already faced with a ticket of this nature, Lance D. Youd is a DUI attorney in Salem, Oregon who will help you obtain the best possible outcome for your situation. Contact us today if you think you have a case!
