Texting While Driving Increase
In this day and age, everyone has a cell phone, from children to senior citizens. They certainly are a convenience since you can use them to listen to music, text, surf the internet, check your email, take photos, play games, and the list goes on and on. What is alarming however, is that today more and more people are driving while texting. Texting while driving has gone up 50% last year despite many states rushing to ban it. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration measures this by staking out certain stoplights and intersections and counting the people using cell phones and other hand held devices. As it turns out, at any given moment, approximately 1% of people are manipulating their cell phone while driving. While that number may seem low, it is basically saying that 1 out of 100 cars that drive by you today may hit you because they were busy texting. Cell phones have certainly added to the number of distractions drivers already have while behind the wheel. A distracted driver is a big problem since they may be more likely to cause an accident. Chicago injury attorneys Zneimer and Zneimer handle distraction related auto accidents on a regular basis. It’s estimated that in 2010, 3,092 deaths in crashes were caused by distractions.
In a separate study conducted, 18% of drivers admitted to sending texts or e-mails behind the wheel. What is alarming is that this number jumps to 50% for drivers between the ages of 18 and 24. Law officials fear educational messages are not enough to curb this behavior. They are stepping up giving out tickets to cell phone users because the simple fact is, many drivers won’t stop texting until they fear getting a ticket.
In fact, a record number of drivers were issued cell phone violation tickets in 2010 alone, translating into millions of dollars in revenue for Chicago. According to the Chicago Tribune, in 2010, Chicago police issued 23,292 tickets for using a cell phone while driving, which is the highest number of citations handed out in year for the offence. This is a 73% increase from 2006. These tickets brought in $2.2 million for the city. Furthermore, the fines are said to have increased steadily from $50 dollars to up to $500 dollars today. This type of ticket is very hard to fight in a court room. While there is no proof that giving out more tickets will translate into safer roads, do yourself a favor and stay off your phone while driving. Use a hands free headset or have a friend text the message for you. It isn’t worth a car accident and isn’t worth getting a ticket over. Cell phone bills are expensive enough. If you have been in an auto accident, contact injury attorneys Zneimer & Zneimer, they can help you evaluate your options.
