Distracted Driving Looms Large in Report of Fatal Car Accidents in 2010

We have all read news stories that talk about the dangers of distracted driving. Nearly every day there is another example of the tragic things that can happen when a driver takes his or her eyes off of the road, even for a split second.

However, despite the widespread nature of these reports, there are still several car accidents that are caused by distracted drivers. The exact number of these accidents is difficult to track because each state records data differently.

Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a report that examined 2010 car accidents. It determined that distracted driving was a factor in 10 percent of the accidents that led to a fatality. Distracted driving was also to blame for 18 percent of accidents that resulted in injuries.

Handheld cellphone use is suspected to be one of the main causes of distracted driving. Talking on the phone, composing a text message, or checking email are all activities that can lead to a driver paying less attention to the road, which could result in an accident.

Officials throughout the country have been aggressive in efforts to place texting while driving bans in place, but the practice is still permitted in several states. In North Carolina, texting while driving is a primary offense, which means that police can stop a driver if the motorist is observed texting while driving.

Additionally, the report highlights efforts to streamline the process for determining what factors led to the accident. More law enforcement agencies are recording information concerning distracted driving in police reports, which should make it easier to identify later. This could allow officials to have more data to determine how widespread the issue is in their location.

Source: Truckinginfo.com “NHTSA: Nearly 10% of Fatal Crashes Involved Distracted Driving” September 25, 2012.