Distracted Driving

Across the country, efforts to curtail distracted driving have gained momentum.  The facts about the consequences of driving while distracted speak for themselves – and the 2011 Texas Legislature is currently examining ways to increase driver safety – prevent accidents – and save the lives of Texans across the state. Stay tuned for updates as legislation to prevent distracted driving in Texas moves through the legislature.

Distracted Driving: “A Deadly Epidemic”

At Least 1.6 Million Crashes Are Caused Each Year by Distracted Drivers

According to the Department of Transportation, officially nearly 500,000 people are injured and 6,000 are killed each year because drivers are talking, texting and e-mailing behind the wheel. But a recent report by the The National Safety Council estimates that at least 28% of all traffic crashes – or at least 1.6 million crashes each year – are caused by these driving distractions.  And, with more than 200 pieces of legislation filed over the past few years, lawmakers in Washington and across the country understand the importance of addressing this deadly epidemic.

TCAIS members companies are working to make our roads safer by educating Texas drivers about the dangers of distracted driving – including the use of cell phones and texting – as well as other everyday distractions such as adjusting the radio or changing a CD.  In fact, a University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center study of the top 10 driver distractions, calls into question “whether anyone should be doing anything in their car except for putting both hands on the wheel, looking straight ahead and driving as carefully as a driver education student.”

Distracted Driving: Did You Know…
  • 71 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 49 admit they text or talk on the phone while they drive.
  • Drivers who text and drive are six times more likely to get into an accident than drivers who do not text while driving.
  • In fact, a driver talking on a cell phone is more impaired than one with a blood alcohol level exceeding the legal limit, according to a study in the December issue of Human Factors.
  • On average, more than 10 teenagers are killed daily in motor vehicle crashes in the United States and even more seriously injured and permanently disabled as the result of teen driver error.  One out of every five 16 year olds will be involved in a car accident, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
  • A survey of cell phone users found younger drivers ages 16 to 24 use hand-held cell phones at a higher rate than older drivers, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Younger drivers are less experienced at multi-tasking while driving and are therefore more easily distracted than their older counterparts.
  • 80 percent of all crashes and 65 percent of near crashes involve some type of distraction. (Source: Virginia Tech 100-car study for NHTSA)
  • Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37 percent. (Source: Carnegie Mellon)
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