Florida Drivers Use Cell Phones at the Worst Times

Research has shown that 80 percent of all crashes and 65 percent of near collisions are caused by distractions. What is just as alarming is that the brain activity associated with driving is reduced by 37 percent when talking on a cell phone. Texting and driving is believed to be even more dangerous, as it takes your eyes, hands and mental attention away from driving, which can lead to a serious Florida car accident.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Status Report Vol. 45, No. 2, Feb. 2, 2010, drivers use cell phones in risky situations. The Institute conducted a survey of 1,219 drivers over the age of 18 and asked questions about the frequency in which they talk and text, as well as if they use a hands-free or hand-held device. Nineteen percent of the drivers surveyed said that they talk daily on the phone while driving and 40 percent reported that they talk on phones at least a few times per week. It was found that on average, drivers talked on the phone an hour a day.

Drivers appear to be using cell phones even at risky times. Forty-two percent of drivers surveyed said that they use cell phones when in stop and go traffic. Twenty-five percent admitted to talking on phones in heavy, fast traffic.

So, how accurate are these figures? It is believed that the numbers could be even worse.

“People tend not fess up to behavior that has a negative image, so drivers in our survey may have understated how often they talk on the phone,” said Anne McCartt, Institute senior vice president for research and an author of the new study. She went on to comment that “it’s worth noting, too, that government researchers observed drivers waiting at intersections during the daytime, while our survey estimates driver phone use on all kinds of roads during all hours.”

Cell phone use seems to continue to go up, as well as texting. In 2008 alone, more than 600 billion text messages were sent and in June 2009, it was reported that over 276 million people had wireless phones.

If you have been injured in a car accident in St. Petersburg or in a surrounding city, contact an experienced St. Petersburg car accident attorney at the Law Offices of William K. Saron, P.A. at 727-345-4566.