Study Suggests Distracted Driving Has Increased Significantly During the Pandemic

 Posted on January 20, 2021 in Distracted Driving Accidents

Everyone knows that using a cell phone while you are driving is unsafe. Taking your eyes off of the road or your hands off of the wheel for even just a few seconds can have disastrous effects. If you are traveling at 55 miles per hour and you look down at your phone for five seconds, you drive the length of a football field without looking where you are going. The National Traffic Safety Administration estimates that about 660,000 drivers are using a cell phone while driving on an average day. However, studies conducted by Zendrive suggest that the issue of distracted driving is a far greater concern than we ever realized. Even more alarming, the issue seems to be worsening.

Nearly 70 Million People Use Their Phones While Driving Everyday

Cell phones and other handheld electronic devices have become an essential part of most people’s lives. Whether it is reading a text message, replying to email, looking up directions, or finding the perfect song, we use our cell phones for multiple reasons throughout the day. For many, using a cell phone while driving is a very difficult habit to break. However, it is a habit that leads to thousands of severe injuries and deaths every day. According to Zendrive’s study, nearly 60 percent of car accidents involve cell phone use behind the wheel. Just under 17 percent of auto collisions studied involved cell phone use during the five seconds immediately preceding the collision. Zendrive estimates that almost 70 million people are using a cell phone while driving on any given day.

COVID-19 Pandemic May Be Increasing the Prevalence of Distracted Driving

Lockdowns and closings intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have dramatically increased our reliance on smartphones and computers. Millions of children are now attending school remotely through their computers and tablets. Adults across the country have traded conference rooms for digital meeting rooms through programs like Zoom and Skype. It may be for these reasons that the frequency of distracted driving accidents has increased. According to Zendrive, cell phone use behind the wheel increased dramatically in March 2020. There was a similar increase in other dangerous behaviors like rapid acceleration. According to the data compiled by Zendrive, Chicago ranks second out of all major U.S. cities when it comes to cell phone use while driving.

Contact a Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer

If you or a loved one were hurt in a car accident caused by a distracted driver, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your property damage, medical bills, and other damages. To learn more, contact a Lake County personal injury attorney from Salvi & Maher, L.L.C. Call us at 847-662-3303 for a free consultation.

Sources:

https://live.zendrive.com/collision-report

http://blog.zendrive.com/blog/distracted-driving-is-far-worse/