As car accident lawyers, we see a lot of car accidents happen because of distracted driving—especially texting while driving. Even a simple distraction can lead to major accidents and injuries.
In 2012, distracted drivers caused twenty-six percent of car accidents. That means over one million crashes were caused by drivers using their phones, according to the National Safety Council.
It is only a matter of seconds that can change the route of your car, and your life. To prove it, this summer New York City’s Department of Transportation and AT&T set up a simulator in Manhattan for texting and driving.
The participant in the simulator received texts while he/she had to drive at the speed limit and react to traffic lights, according to NY Daily News.
The combination of texting while driving decreased the driver’s focus, making each and every participant crash.
NYC’s DOT and AT&T both have anti-texting and driving campaigns. AT&T’s “It Can Wait” campaign has gained a lot of attention. It has motivated over four million drivers to pledge to eliminate texting and driving, including celebrities like Tim McGraw, Demi Lovato, and band members from One Republic.
To see if their campaign was truly working, AT&T did some research. The researchers studied past trends in Illinois, Texas, and Florida and projected what the future statistics for car accidents would look like during June 2012-May 2013.
Based on a statistical model the researchers created, they found there was a positive impact on the community, and fewer accidents occurred. The campaign is mostly used through social media and pledging, using the #ItCanWait hashtag.
Texting and driving alone caused over 280,000 car accidents in 2012. Imagine what would happen if texting while driving was eliminated.
We hope that you pledge to never text and drive. The car accident lawyers at Finney Law Office, LLC applauds everyone who has taken the pledge.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, contact an experienced lawyer today.