Surfing and Driving – A New Reason to Call Your Car Accident Attorney?
We’ve all seen the ads or heard the advisories warning against drinking and driving, texting and driving, drowsy driving, distracted driving – the list goes on and on. But what about surfing and driving? We admit; that was a surprise even to us. But as it turns out, one in four Americans are actually surfing the web while they drive.
Unfortunately, all this safe driving awareness seems to be falling on deaf (or distracted?) ears. In 2009, State Farm Insurance reported that 13 percent of drivers used their mobile web browser while driving. This year, that percentage rose to 25 percent. With all the statistics we have available that tell a cautionary tale about using electronic devices while driving, why is the number of Americans who choose to drive unsafely rising?
But it’s not just surfing. The same USA Today report outlined some other startling statistics – the kind that make car accident attorneys start to sweat. The number of drivers who read emails on their cell phones while on the road was 24 percent this year, up from 22 percent in 2009. Of those, 16 percent of drivers actually respond to the emails while on the go, and 17 percent read social media updates, up from 15 percent in 2009.
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Another startling element in the survey was the corresponding demographic information. While many assume that younger drivers are more prone to text, surf and read while driving, this isn’t the case. Half of drivers aged 30-39 admitted to texting and driving, while 31 percent of drivers aged 40-49 and 19 percent of those 50-64 confessed that they did as well.
While you can’t control the actions of other drivers on the road, you can increase your odds of avoiding a devastating accident that requires you to hire a car accident attorney by practicing safe, distraction-free driving. Keep your cell phone in your purse, pocket, or even glove compartment. When it comes to technology, it can wait.
