Danger of Cell Phone Use While Driving
Talking or texting on a cell phone is involved in at least 26% of crashes. So concluded the National Safety Council in the Annual Estimate of Cell Phone Crashes.
The actual percentage of crashes involving cell phones is probably greater than 26% because investigating officers must rely on driver’s disclosing that they were on the cell phone or witnesses who come forward reporting cell phone use before cell phone use is reported as a factor contributing to a crash.
Although texting contributes to the high level of cell phone involvement in crashes (5%), by far the greater contributor is talking either on a hands-free or hand-held cell phone (21%).
The National Safety Counsel estimates that 1,481,000 crashes in 2012 involved cell phone use, and that a person is four times more likely to be involved in a crash if they are using a cell phone while driving.
Linda Turley