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State Bans Don't Prevent Texting While Driving - Guest Blog

Just last month, Pennsylvania became the 35th state to forbid texting while driving. But despite strict laws in most states, the number of drivers who text and engage in other distracting activities while driving grew 50% over the last year, according to a national study done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The study, the first of its kind, was released on Thursday. According to the data collected, nearly one in every 100 car drivers was texting, emailing, surfing the Internet, or using a hand-held device at any given moment last year. Even scarier, these drivers don’t perceive this activity as dangerous. More than half of drivers said talking on a cell phone while driving didn’t impact their driving, while one quarter said texting made no difference to their driving performance. Ironically, 90% said they feel they are in danger when they are a passenger in the vehicle of a distracted driver.

Most of those surveyed said they would answer a cell phone while driving and would continue to drive after answering. About two in 10 drivers admitted to texting or emailing while driving, though that figure jumped to half among those between the ages of 21 and 24.

In 2010 there were an estimated 3,092 automobile crash fatalities attributed to distracted driving. If you or someone you love has recently been injured in an accident, and you believe a distracted driver may have been responsible, contact a PA personal injury attorney today.  If you have been injured in an Iowa car wreck, request a copy of our FREE book by calling 800-707-2552.