The Dangers of Distracted Driving

In 2013, 3,154 people were killed in distracted driving crashes. Distracted driving has become an increasing issue over the last few years and is easily preventable. Texting and driving is one of the most common forms of distracted driving. Seventy-one percent of young people say they have sent a text while driving. Texting and driving is not only dangerous to the person doing it but also to everyone in their car and on the road. Distracted driving is not limited to texting but also cell phone usage in general. With the majority of Americans owning smart phones, people are doing things such as surfing the internet, checking social media, taking photos or videos while driving. All of these are major distractions while driving and can significantly affect everyone on the road around you.

Back in January of this year, a woman hit three high school students at a crosswalk because she was taking a video of her child in the backseat. The three teenagers were sent to the hospital with injuries from the accident. The woman was charged with three counts of third-degree assault, five counts of reckless endangerment and one count of reckless driving. This accident is a great example of how distracted driving affects pedestrians and vehicles around you. If the woman had not been using her cell phone, the crash probably would not have happened.

Distracted driving is something so easily preventable but drivers need to make an effort to avoid distracting activities while driving. It is something everyone needs to consider changing their habits to help reduce the number of injuries and deaths from distracted driving accidents.