I can talk ad nauseam about the dangers of distracted driving, especially as it pertains to texting. But for those of you out there who work best by experiencing things visually, perhaps an illustration of the danger can do a better job of spreading the word about the danger inherent in texting behind the wheel.
The infographic below brings attention a variety of statistics that might be shocking to the uninitiated. Perhaps one of the most interesting tidbits is what the act of texting actually entails. As the diagram shows, sending a text requires an individual to look away from the road for a minimum of five seconds. For cars traveling 55 miles per hour, that equates to an entire football field.
That’s not all. If you text, you’re 23 times as likely to be involved in a collision. But it doesn’t even require texting to heighten the danger. Dialing, reaching for your phone, or simply talking or listening makes the risk of a crash much greater.
And for those who think that teens are to blame, they’re only slightly right. Although, yes, 34% of teenagers admit to texting while behind the wheel, 27% of adults are guilty of doing the same.
But not all is doom and gloom. Laws, technology, and educational campaigns can help curb the threat, as the bottom of the illustration shows.
View the infographic below, and click here to view the original story.
