We have all driven a vehicle while having an active cell phone in the car. We have all answered phone calls while driving. Many of us have answered emails or texts or sent texts while driving. But the statistics regarding texting while driving will truly shock you.
One in Four accidents involve Texting.
According to the National Safety Council, cell phone use while driving accounts for 1.6 million auto accidents each year and nearly 390,000 injuries occur each year from accidents caused while texting and driving. In fact, one out of every four car accidents in America are caused by texting while driving. To put that in perspective, texting while driving is six times more likely to cause an accident than driving under the influence of alcohol. Distracted drivers have become a big problem all over the world.
Answering a text while driving takes your attention away from the road for at least five seconds. If you are traveling at 55 mph, that's enough time to travel the length of a football field without being aware of what is around you. The statistics bear out that texting while driving causes a 400 percent increase in time spent with your eyes off the road.
As these statistics gain traction with the public, 94 percent of drivers support a ban on texting while driving and 74 percent support a ban on hand-held cell phone use. Right now, as you read these words, approximately 600,000 drivers are operating a motor vehicle and using their phones at the same time. And when we are talking about teen drivers, they are four times more likely to be involved in a car crash while talking or texting on their phones. An astounding 21 percent of teens involved in fatal accidents were distracted by their cell phones.
Knowing all this, it is easy to see why law enforcement has made catching and ticketing drivers who are caught texting while driving a major focus.
How Cops Catch Texters
When it comes to "distracted driving", every state has different laws. For instance, in Alabama it is illegal to text or use the Internet while driving. In Alaska and Arizona texting is illegal for all drivers. In some states such as Arkansas and Colorado, cell phone use is restricted for those 18 years old or younger. California has a ban on all hand-held devices and texting is illegal while driving. In fact, Missouri and Montana are the only two states that don't have a complete ban on texting and driving.
How do the police know if you are texting while on the road? As it turns out, it is easy to be spotted and getting pulled over for texting while driving can result in an expensive ticket at the least and possibly even arrest. Here are some of the methods that police are using to catch those who can't wait to play with their phones.
Phone in your Lap
Many drivers seem to think that they can avoid getting pulled over if they just put their phones in their lap while driving. They honestly don't think that cops don't notice them driving along while starting down at their crotch. There you are, looking down, your hands are busy texting, and your car is weaving in traffic. Cops notice that this maneuver causes drivers to sit still when traffic lights turn green, hesitating before pulling ahead slowly. Looking at the phone in your lap, it is easy for police to notice you are distracted.
Phone on the Steering Wheel
There are drivers who prefer holding their smartphone on the steering wheel or in a clip on the dash and figure they are safer to text and drive because they are still sort of looking towards the road instead of staring down in their laps. But this is one of the easiest ways for police to notice you are texting while driving. Texting while holding the phone on your steering wheel is still wrong. You may be looking towards the road, but you are not concentrating on what is in front of you. Cops are trained to spot this tactic.
That Magic Blue Glow
It is easy for police to spot cell phone use while you're driving at night. The interior of your car is awash in a light blue glow coming from your phone. Your phone lights up briefly when you receive a text, but it stays lit up if you are texting or checking email or playing on the Internet. When you are cruising down the highway at night, police can spot that light blue glow inside your vehicle from a remarkable distance and pull you right over.
Traffic Cameras
There are currently 18 states that have traffic cameras at busy intersections to catch speeders and those who run red lights. But did you know, they can also be used to catch you using your cell phone while driving? Yes, Big Brother can see you while you're texting and mail you a summons for a court date or even send you a big fine to pay. Also known as Speed Cameras or Traffic Enforcement cameras, these modern miracles use radar to detect your vehicle's speed and take a digital photo of you. Imagine getting a copy of your image in the mail showing you speeding through a red light while texting on your phone. Not good. In England, the use of such technology is said to have reduced people being killed or injured in traffic accidents by 42 percent.
Drive Bys
Police traveling in squad cars are stuck in the same traffic flow that you are and that can make it difficult for them to see if you are texting unless they are right behind you or next to you. But today, police departments use SUVs, motorcycles, and even bicycles to better observe what you are up to. From an SUV, police can peer down at you when driving on your left or right and see if you are on the phone. Motorcycle cops can ride right up next to you, splitting lanes to bust you for texting. The same can be said for cops on bicycles. It's hard to deny you were texting when you look up and stare right into the officer's eyes.
Beware the "Textalyzer"
This proposed device could theoretically be issued on drivers who have been busted for texting while driving. The textalyzer would be connected to your phone via an app and would scan the phone for calls, e-mails, and text messages sent while the driver is operating a vehicle. At present, this device is still the stuff of science fiction since it is not sophisticated enough to distinguish illegal texts that were sent while driving. Plus, currently, a warrant is necessary to search the contents of a cell phone belonging to an arrested person.
Using your Phone Records
Personal injury attorneys have ways to prove a driver was distracted and at fault for the cause of a collision due to texting while driving. This includes obtaining your phone records to see if you were receiving or sending texts at the time of an accident. These records can be paired with traffic cameras that caught the driver in the act of texting. Attorneys also provide witnesses from the scene of an accident who may testify that a driver was texting when an accident occurred. Testimony given to police offers at the scene of an accident can be used to prove that a person was distracted while driving.
Just Put your Phone Away
Sending a text or an e-mail while you are driving is not worth putting your life or others' lives in jeopardy. Just put your cell phone away while driving. You can always answer calls and texts later. Distracted driving is reckless driving.
