Texting and driving facts for Kentucky

Texting and driving has become an increasingly large problem across the country. In Kentucky as well, the number of texting and driving cases has risen. Examining some statistics for this phenomenon reveals some unfortunate patterns.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet states that distracted driving composes up to 80% of crashes, making it a top factor in vehicular accidents. It was reported that there were 53,500 crashes in 2014 alone, with 169 being fatalities and 14,000 injuries documented. Texting is considered especially dangerous as a distraction because it combines all three types of potential distractions: visual, manual and cognitive. Studies also report that the brain activity associated with driving may drop up to 37 percent when using a cell phone.

Hands-free cell phones are not much better. The University of Utah states that any type of cell phone has the potential of delaying a driver’s reaction time. In fact, using any type of cellular device can have the same effect on a driver as having a blood alcohol content level of .08 percent. Additionally, the study concluded that texting while driving is even more distracting than simply speaking on the phone. However, all means of communication are discouraged because any form of distraction can increase a driver’s chance of getting into an accident.

For these reasons, texting while driving is considered one of the primary problems of the road that needs to be addressed quickly. These high accident rates could be diminished if texting and talking on the phone are both eliminated.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car crash, speak with a Lexington car accident lawyer for help.