Distracted driving remains a top safety concern

Ever since cellphones hit the market, distracted driving has been a persistent safety hazard on the country’s roadways. Pennsylvania is no exception: Sometimes, it seems nearly impossible to drive without spotting another motorist texting, talking on the phone or using their smartphone for some other purpose.

Distracted driving now outranks drunk driving as American drivers’ top safety concern, and with good reason. According to a recent survey, 75 percent of drivers see phone-related distraction among other drivers at least once a day. This is just one alarming statistic about distracted driving that Pennsylvania motorists should know.

Smartphones and driving

The insurance trade publication Claims Journal recently conducted a study pertaining to distracted driving. The data indicate that distracted driving remains a prevalent safety menace on the roads. Smartphones are the main culprit of distracted driving. These are some relevant statistics from the study:

• Forty-four percent of drivers report they have been distracted by their passengers.
• Of the drivers surveyed, 30 percent admit to texting while driving, and 32 percent admit to talking on their cellphones while driving.
• Twenty-seven percent of drivers have used a cellphone for navigation purposes while driving.
• But only 39 percent of drivers said that anti-distracted driving laws have had an impact on their use of handheld devices while driving.

The danger of distraction

Distracted driving can have serious consequences–not just for the distracted driver, but for other cars on the road. When drivers do not pay attention to the road, they can cause serious accidents and injuries. Car crashes can cause expensive damage to vehicles and other property. They can also cause serious, life-altering injuries.

Although Pennsylvania does have legislation in place to discourage distracted driving, some careless motorists continue to use smartphones and other technology on the roads. There can be criminal and civil consequences for drivers who decide to put other drivers’ lives at risk for the sake of distracted driving.