A new survey shows that 94 percent of adult drivers are concerned about distracted driving, but an astounding 20 percent of them think their driving skills are good enough to drive while texting or talking on the cell phone. Yet the statistics show a different story – more than 500,000 are injured each year due to distracted driving says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The Department of Transportation, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Orthopaedic Trauma Association have recently launched a campaign to end distracted driving called “Decide to Drive”. Even one of Extreme Makeover’s episodes earlier in the year focused on a family who lost their daughter, Alex Brown, as she was texting and crashed her truck. The family’s charity, the Remember Alex Brown Foundation, has enlisted the help of Justin Bieber, Emma Roberts, and NASCAR’s Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards to raise awareness about distracted driving and underscore the serious consequences it can have. Alex was one of 5,500 people to die from distracted driving that year.
In Illinois, texting while driving has already been illegal for more than a year. Shockingly, though, 40 percent of Illinois Tollway drivers had no idea that it is against the law to text or email while driving in Illinois. Drivers under 19 years old are banned from using a cell phone while driving, unless it is an emergency, as outlined in the Illinois graduated driver’s license guidelines.
Illinois’ “Drive Now. Text Later.” campaign puts the perils of distracted driving into perspective. Taking your attention off the road for four to six seconds at 55 mph equals being distracted for up to two football field lengths. The likelihood of a crash goes up by 2,200 percent when people text when driving, says the NHTSA. The Illinois Tollway system has seven unique Oasis stops throughout the tollway where drivers can stop and catch up on any calls, texts or emails before they get back on the road.
Distracted driving isn’t just texting and yapping away on the phone. Distractions are anything that causes visual, manual, or one’s cognitive attention to be diverted.
- Top Driver Distractions
Changing radio station, CD, or MP3 player
Eating, drinking, or smoking
Writing a note or reading a map
Putting info into GPS system
Picking up something on the car floor, seat, or from the glove compartment
Cleaning the inside of the windshield or rearview mirror
Doing your nails, makeup, shaving, putting in contact lenses or using eye drops
Talking to passengers or baby in a car seat
Texting, emailing or chatting on cell phone
Up to 8,000 auto accidents happen every day in the U.S., according to the NHTSA. The Chicago accident attorney Robert I. Briskman, Esq. sees the aftermath of grisly car and truck accidents that occur due to distracted driving. Briskman Briskman & Greenberg use their decades of experience to pursue an individual’s and family’s right to fair compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and other costs involved in the auto accident. Their Chicago accident lawyers have a comprehensive new website to help their clients research and recover from all the issues they are dealing with after an auto accident.
To learn more, visit https://briskmanandbriskman.com or call 877-595-HURT (4878)
Briskman Briskman & Greenberg
351 West Hubbard Street, Ste 810
Chicago, IL 60654