Texting and driving is dangerous for everyone on the road. Drivers who take their eyes off the road can hit others without even looking up from their phones. When people are distracted by texts, they may not realize a motorcyclist is approaching and pull out in front of him or her. A driver may not look up in time to see stopped traffic ahead, causing a rear-end collision.
According to a 2015 report, 49 percent of adults have admitted to texting while driving, even though 98 percent admitted that they knew that it was unsafe to drive and text at the same time. How dangerous are these drivers, though?
The study showed that one in four accidents involving motor vehicles involved a cellphone. In 2013, 341,000 crashes involved texting. Texting or calling on a cellphone is said to increase the risk of an accident by four times; who wants to take that risk? Is it worth putting your life and the lives of others at risk?
Unfortunately for motorcyclists and other road users, those who use their phones aren’t being responsible and are putting others in harm’s way. Even though texting and driving is banned in 46 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico people still do it. What can you do if you get in a collision with these negligent drivers?
In most cases, you’ll be able to file a claim, against either the driver or his or her insurance, so you can be fairly compensated for your injuries and the damage to your personal belongings.
Source: Huffington Post, “10 Statistics That Capture The Dangers of Texting and Driving,” Erin Schumaker, accessed Jan. 25, 2016
