Smart Phones Mean Not so Smart Driving
Smart Phones Mean Not so Smart Driving
Unless you have been living under a rock over the past five years, you've heard that using a cell phone while driving, or text messaging, could dramatically increase your risk of an accident. These risks increase several times if you're using an Android, iPhone, Blackberry or any other smart phone.
It shouldn't take super smarts to understand that using a phone that allows you to surf the web, send e-mail, and perform a dozen different activities while driving, increases your accident risks. It will however take super smarts to figure out effective solutions that can combat these risks. Simply asking people to switch off their smart phones while driving does not seem to work as well as Las Vegas car accident lawyers had hoped.
Meanwhile, there's yet another study into the effects of distracted driving, specifically the use of cell phones and texting devices. This one comes from researchers at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. The researchers took accident and fatality data from state agencies, distracted driving accident data from the NHTSA, and cell phone and text messaging data from the Federal Communications Commission. They have concluded that there have been about 16,000 traffic accident fatalities between 2001 and 2007, all attributed to cell phone use and text messaging while driving.
Smart Phones Mean Not so Smart Driving
That is a staggering estimate, but it is highly likely that these are conservative estimates. Many states do not have policies in place requiring police officers to note down whether cell phone use was a factor in an accident. Several states, including California, have bans on text messaging or the use of handheld cell phones while driving. It's very possible that many accidents caused by distracted driving are slipping under the radar. It is highly unlikely that a motorist will come right out and admit he was texting or talking on the cell phone at the time of the accident.
The Texas researchers believe the accident risks from distracted driving have imploded with the popularity of smart phones. The typical iPhone for instance, has thousands of applications that you can download that allow you to do everything from making a reservation at the newest restaurant in town, sending an e-mail invite to friends, and looking up directions to get there, all at your finger tips.
Technologies make it easier for Americans to live their lives. Unfortunately, indiscriminate use of technologies has also placed their lives and safety at risk too.
Unless you have been living under a rock over the past five years, you've heard that using a cell phone while driving, or text messaging, could dramatically increase your risk of an accident. These risks increase several times if you're using an Android, iPhone, Blackberry or any other smart phone.
It shouldn't take super smarts to understand that using a phone that allows you to surf the web, send e-mail, and perform a dozen different activities while driving, increases your accident risks. It will however take super smarts to figure out effective solutions that can combat these risks. Simply asking people to switch off their smart phones while driving does not seem to work as well as Las Vegas car accident lawyers had hoped.
Meanwhile, there's yet another study into the effects of distracted driving, specifically the use of cell phones and texting devices. This one comes from researchers at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. The researchers took accident and fatality data from state agencies, distracted driving accident data from the NHTSA, and cell phone and text messaging data from the Federal Communications Commission. They have concluded that there have been about 16,000 traffic accident fatalities between 2001 and 2007, all attributed to cell phone use and text messaging while driving.
Smart Phones Mean Not so Smart Driving
That is a staggering estimate, but it is highly likely that these are conservative estimates. Many states do not have policies in place requiring police officers to note down whether cell phone use was a factor in an accident. Several states, including California, have bans on text messaging or the use of handheld cell phones while driving. It's very possible that many accidents caused by distracted driving are slipping under the radar. It is highly unlikely that a motorist will come right out and admit he was texting or talking on the cell phone at the time of the accident.
The Texas researchers believe the accident risks from distracted driving have imploded with the popularity of smart phones. The typical iPhone for instance, has thousands of applications that you can download that allow you to do everything from making a reservation at the newest restaurant in town, sending an e-mail invite to friends, and looking up directions to get there, all at your finger tips.
Technologies make it easier for Americans to live their lives. Unfortunately, indiscriminate use of technologies has also placed their lives and safety at risk too.
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