Nashville Personal Injury Lawyer Shares Some Interesting Facts About Driving And Cell Phone Use
Put The Phone Down
As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney I use my blog, “The Tennessee Auto Accident Attorney”, as a way to educate my readers about issues related to driving on the highways and byways of Tennessee. Today I would like to give you some facts about cell phone use while driving compiled by the good folks at the National Safety Council.
• Dozens of peer-reviewed scientific studies have demonstrated the risks associated with using a cell phone while driving, including a significantly increased crash risk.
• Drivers who use a cell phone, either handheld or hands-free, are four times more likely to be involved in a crash, according to a 1997 New England Journal of Medicine examination of hospital records, and a 2005 study funded by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety linking injury crashes to cell phone records.
• About 30 research studies conclude that there is an increased crash risk when using a cell phone while driving. Many of these studies further conclude that using a hands-free phone while driving is just as risky as talking on a handheld phone.
• Many businesses and organizations understand the risk and are taking action. Among NSC members that responded to a 2009 survey, 58 percent (1,163 out of 2,004 respondents) said their organization had some type of a cell phone policy, and the majority of them reported that the policy had a positive impact. Over 70 percent of companies that prohibit the use of all wireless communication devices while driving, including hands-free phones, did not see a decrease in productivity; over 20 percent saw decreases in employee crash rates and property damage.
• Cell phone use contributes to an estimated 25 percent of injury and property damage-only crashes.
• Thousands of deaths each year are due to cell phone-related crashes, according to the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis.
• Hundreds of millions of people use cell phones while driving. According to CTIA, The Wireless Association, there are more than 275 million cell phone subscribers. A 2008 Nationwide Insurance public opinion poll showed 81 percent of cell phone owners admitted to talking on a cell phone while driving.
• Talking to a passenger while driving is significantly safer than talking on a cell phone for adult drivers, according to a University of Utah study. Passengers, unlike cell phone conversations, can make the driver aware of changing road conditions they might not see and can stop the conversation if traffic conditions warrant.
• The annual cost of crashes caused by cell phone use was estimated at $43 billion in 2003, according to the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis.
They seem so convenient, it’s so tempting to just pick it up and reach out to someone, but the facts speak for themselves. When you talk on the cell phone while driving you are putting yourself and others around you in danger of injury or death. I urge you to think about these facts when you pick up that phone. Keep your eyes on your driving and your hands on the wheel. Stay alive and don’t kill a stranger.
If you or a loved one is killed or injured in a Nashville automobile accident by a distracted driver talking on the cell phone, act quickly and contact an experienced Tennessee personal injury lawyer to handle your case. Contact Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.
Phillip Miller is a Tennessee Accident Attorney specializing in
Phillip has an AVVO rating of 10.0 (Superb), has been designated as a “Superlawyer”, and is the President Elect of the Tennessee Association for Justice.
Click Here to Contact Phillip
