Nearly half of young motorists drive distracted, survey says

Posted on May 8, 2012

Approximately 80 percent of drivers between the ages of 16 and 21 said they think that sending text messages while behind the wheel of a moving motor vehicle is dangerous, but nearly 30 percent of young drivers surveyed admitted to sending a text message while operating an automobile within the past month, and a little less than half of those surveyed reported placing or receiving a cellphone call without the use of a hands-free device, according to a survey conducted by Consumer Reports.

Additionally, nearly half of the drivers surveyed reported having seen one or both of their parents using a cellphone without a hands free device. Accident statistics compiled by the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate, however, that, proportionally, fewer people have been killed in fatal automotive collisions than at any time in the past 60 years. In 2010, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics, a little less than one in ten fatal traffic accidents were linked to distracted driving. Drivers between the ages of 18 to 20 years old are the most likely to be involved in an accident linked to distraction caused by the use of a handheld communication device.

As a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer, I have seen the serious damage that distracted driving can cause. If you or a loved one has been harmed in an accident linked to inattentive driving habits, please consider contacting a car accident attorney in Los Angeles.

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