Texting more dangerous than drunk driving

John Demas

Contributor

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If you live or drive in California, you’ve likely seen the billboards or television ads or heard the radio spots with the slogan “it’s not worth it!” That slogan is talking about using your cell phone or handheld device while driving. And they are serious. Distracted driving is a huge traffic safety issue and the use of handheld electronic devices is a major contributor. As a result, states across the nation—including California—have been camping up their efforts over the last several years to combat this issue.

So how big of an issue is it? And how dangerous is it to use your phone while driving? Some of the numbers are pretty shocking:

• 80% of all vehicle crashes involve some sort of driver inattention and talking on a cell phone or texting is the number one source of driver distractions.
• Most crashes happen with less than 3 seconds of reaction time; texting takes your eyes off the road for an average of 5 seconds, during which your vehicle traveling at 55 mph can cover the length of a football field.
• Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves.
• Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37 percent.
• Using a cell phone while driving—even if it is hands-free—delays a driver’s reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent. Driving while using your cell phone is as bad as driving drunk.

These numbers highlight the need for drivers to change their behavior when it comes to using their cell phone or handheld device in the car. Some of the recommended behavioral changes include:

• Never text and drive
• Turn off your phone when you get behind the wheel
• Don’t text of call someone when you know they are likely to be driving.
• Make a pact with your loved ones—family, spouse, children drivers and caregivers—to never use the phone with kids in the car
• Don’t program your GPS, MP3 player or other devices while driving
• Pull over and stop if you need to make a call or use your phone