• 27
  • December
    2011

Drivers who occupy their hands with cell phones while operating a motor vehicle are far more likely to be involved in a fatal car accident, according to a new study released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The study monitored drivers and their habits while operating their motor vehicles. These observations found that, at any given time, about one in 20 motorists on the road in North Carolina and other states is holding a hand-held cell phone while driving a vehicle. One in 100 drivers is composing a text message or performing other hand-held functions on a mobile electronic device.

The number of people talking on cell phones remained constant from the previous year, but the number of people texting increased by nearly 50 percent. Safety regulators say that national roadways are rendered far more dangerous because of that uptick.

In total, an estimated 13.5 million drivers are believed to be using their cell phones while operating a vehicle at any time during daytime hours. This high number comes despite legislation that prevents drivers from composing text messages while driving. A clear majority of states also prohibit the use of hand-held cell phones while driving a motor vehicle.

The NHTSA also noted that at least 10 percent of the total roadway deaths in the United States last year -- more than 3,000 fatalities -- were caused by distracted driving. The organization noted that the actual numbers are probably higher because some cases lack evidence to confirm whether the accident was prompted by distracted driving or not.

The NHTSA also announced the creation of a new measurement called "distraction-affected crashes," which will improve the organization's ability to monitor trends in driving and guide its research.

Source: CNN, "Millions of drivers won't hang up, study shows" Mike M. Ahlers, Dec. 8, 2011