Texting While Driving Increases Crash Risks by 23x

Oh, it’s tempting to respond to a buzz, tweet, chime or ding from our cell phones while driving – but doing so increases your risk of an accident a staggering 23x!

Think you can safely text while driving? Think again.

The National Highway & Transportation Administration (NHTSA) reported that texting and driving slows a driver’s judgement and reaction time in the same way that drinking two beers impairs a driver.

In both cases, drivers tend to follow too closely behind other vehicles, are not able to brake on time or have difficulty weaving or merging into traffic.

Consider the facts:

• The National Safety Council reported in 2014 that cell phone use while driving was responsible for over 25% of automobile crashes – up from 2013.
• The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than “eight people are killed and 1,161 injured in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver.”
• The CDC also reports that 18% of all crashes resulting in injury were caused by distracted drivers.
• A 2009 study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute proved that texting while driving was the single riskiest type of driver distraction out there. Their study concluded that texting while driving made drivers 23x more likely to crash.

While we all may have put ourselves at greater risk by using our cell phones while driving, Teenagers are at the greatest risk of texting-related accident. Besides being the least experienced group of drivers, they are also among the heaviest users of texting apps. It can simply be too tempting for a Teenager to ignore a buzzing, tweeting, chiming or dinging phone.

With the risks of driving increasing every day as more and more people allow themselves to be distracted while driving, having the right insurance is vital for your protection. We’ll be happy to review your current policy and make sure you have the best possible value in price and protection.