Charleston workers compensation lawyers want to bring attention to an issue discussed by Post and Courier columnist, Ken Burger, the potential dangers of texting and emailing on cell phones. While Mr. Burger focuses on the strain this type of communication can place on the hand, he also mentions how we push our human capability to multi task, driving with one hand while communicating with family, friends, and/or colleagues with the other.
The number of cell phone related automobile accidents is steadily on the rise, as we have been able to do more and more with today’s devices. So much so that 31 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam have enacted bans on hand-held devices or texting to help reduce the dangers of distracted driving for the public, those dangers being severe accidents that present the potential for serious injuries or even death.Twelve of these laws were enacted in 2010 alone, according to distraction.gov, the official U.S. government website for distracted driving.
According to distraction.gov, there are three main types of distraction: visual; taking your eyes off the road, manual; taking your hands off the wheel, and cognitive; taking your mind off what you’re doing. Distracted driving is any non-driving activity a person engages in that has the potential to distract him or her from the primary task of driving and increase the risk of crashing. While all distractions can endanger drivers’ safety, texting is the most alarming because it involves all three types of distraction.
Driver distraction presents serious dangers and creates the possibility of wrongful death. In 2009, 5,474 people were killed in U.S. roadways and an estimated additional 448,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes that were reported to have involved distracted driving. Distracted driving comes in various forms, such as cell phone use, texting while driving, eating, drinking, talking with passengers, as well as using in-vehicle technologies and portable electronic devices.