Mobile Phones When Driving Present Trouble for Kansas City Traffic Attorneys
Most people don't think about the fact that using a cellular phone while driving could lead to a very bad day. Kansas City rush hour traffic is often arduous enough without adding distractions or the potential for involving the stress of lawyers and problems to your life. Smart phones may have improved our way of life and levels of communication, but they are very distracting and dangerous in the driver's seat of a car. It has been estimated that 1.6 million accidents annually are related to the distractions of a cell phone. Distractions are not all cellular phone related, but cell phone distractions represent a huge problem.
Cell Phones and Driving Facts
A smart person can look at the statistics and clearly see the pitfalls of using a cell phone behind the wheel. Making the roads safer for all people has been a significant struggle for Kansas City traffic attorneys and lawmakers alike. A little fact that will completely shock you is that the average time it takes to interact with a text message is 5 seconds, which is like driving 55 mph, blindfolded, down the span of a football field. It is a undeniable fact that texting while driving is the most dangerous cell phone activity. Due to these hazards, 94% of people polled think texting while driving ought to be completely banned and 74% support banning all cell phone use while driving. Hands-free cell phone alternatives don't seem to raise those statistics.
The basic stats on using a cellphone while driving are incredible. If you ask a Kansas City traffic lawyer about using a mobile while driving, they will have some disturbing experiences to tell. 1.6 million car crashes and more than 330,000 injuries every year have been reported by the National Safety Council as being directly related to using a cell phone while driving. Texting while behind the wheel is 6 times more likely than driving drunk to result in a collision, and texting when driving accounts for an unexpected 1 in 4 traffic accidents. Facts like that should make people reconsider picking up their cell phone while they're driving.
Rules for Driving With a Cellular Telephone in Kansas
Some states identify the potential risks and have laws in place to combat these issues. Using your cellular phone while driving in Kansas could lead to fines, tickets and attorney fees, even if you are stopped at a stops sign or traffic lights. Many people do not realize Kansas has such a law in place because it's not widely advertised. The law reads that it is illegal for anyone to text and drive, and drivers below the age of 21 are prohibited from mobile use completely while they are driving. Make sure to know what the local laws are.
Cell phone laws and regulations are continually changing. Lawmakers and traffic lawyers alike have a special situation when dealing with Kansas City because it's split down the middle between Kansas and Missouri. However, the Missouri side of the city doesn't regulate cellphones usage while driving a motor vehicle. Missouri is now one of the few states without any cell phone/driving regulations, but that's not going to go very far. Nationwide, the stats keep increasing, encouraging new laws concerning cellphones behind the wheel.
Teenage Driver Mobile Statistics
Teen drivers have many distractions to face, but a cell phone may be perilous. Traffic lawyers in Kansas City and attorneys nationwide realize that 21% of critical car accidents involving teenage drivers were directly related to driving while using their cell phones. An incredible 11 teenage drivers die daily because they were texting and driving. With stats like that, it's a matter community and personal safety to adapt our cell phone laws. Replying to a text message or responding to FaceBook can wait until your car is in park.
Drivers under the age of 21 are considered to be the most distracted on the road. Kansas City traffic lawyers have seen their share of disasters involving young adults who were using their cell phones while behind the wheel. The real sad reality is that these teens knew better. 94% of teenage drivers admit they understand the dangers of texting, but 35% admit to doing it anyways. To put it into perspective, texting and driving is statistically more unsafe than driving under the influence.
2012 Driving and Cellular Phone figures
2012 saw some incredible increases in cell phone related auto accidents. 2012 figures had traffic lawyers in Kansas City spinning from the large numbers of distraction-related auto accidents involving drivers on their cellular phones. Distractions like answering cell phone calls or text messages are the reason for 3,328 deaths that year. Up to 50 % of all drivers on the road admit to answering their mobile devices while driving and yet another 58% will continue to drive while on the phone. Answering a phone call while you're driving can be very distracting, but attempting to text while driving is significantly more unsafe.
Pedestrians on their cellular phones account for an increase in distraction related traumas, too. As strange as it may seem, Kansas City attorneys have also seen a rise in pedestrian catastrophes and fatalities involving cell phones. Studies involving some of Seattle's busiest crossing points were conducted in 2012. Researchers found that pedestrians who texting are four times Less inclined to look before crossing the street and take typically two seconds longer to actually get over the intersection. Two seconds isn't a long time, however the study established that a pedestrian is alarmingly distracted when using a cell phone.
2012 Driving With Mobile Phone Statistics
Pedestrian-related accidents have been on the increase on account of cell phone distractions. While it's probably not something you contemplate, Kansas City traffic lawyers have seen a remarkable increase in pedestrian accidents and deaths related to cell phone use. Washington University did a 2012 study on a number of Seattle's most hectic intersections. The outcome indicated it took an average of two extra seconds to cross the street, and pedestrians were 4 times less likely to look before they crossed the street. We were all taught from a young age to check before we cross the street for basic safety, however a pedestrian on the cell phone is usually distracted.
2012 saw some unbelievable increases in cellular telephone related car accidents. Kansas City traffic lawyers are seeing a dramatic surge in accidents of all types involving mobile phone usage. Distractions like answering telephone calls or text messages are the reason for 3,328 deaths that year. It's stunning to find out that almost one half of all drivers on the road admit to answering their mobile while driving and 58% of those drivers will continue to talk while they drive. Text messages are significantly more distracting than phone calls, but both of them are dangerous when driving.
Teen Reports Driving and Mobile Phones
Teenaged drivers have many distractions to handle, but a cell phone can be deadly. Kansas City traffic lawyers are aware that 21% of fatal collisions involving teens, were directly related to being distracted by their mobile. An astounding 11 teenage drivers die on a daily basis because they were texting and driving. It's due to statistics like this that laws are modifying nationwide. No one will kick the bucket if you wait until the car is in park to answer your messages.
Quite possibly the most distracted drivers on the road are those under 21. Ask any attorney in Kansas City and they will tell you they've seen some real traffic tragedies which involve young people who had been texting while driving. What's really surprising is that teens actually know better. Many experts have reported that a surprising 94% of teen drivers know making use of their cell phone while driving could be risky, but 35% admit to doing it nevertheless. Statistically, texting and driving is far more unsafe than driving drunk.
cellular phones are distracting under any condition. Texting or using your cell phone while driving may lead to very serious injuries and might require the aid of a Kansas City lawyer. Using your mobile phone while trying to drive can end life as you know it in the blink of an eye. Lawmakers across the country recognize a growing problem with drivers distracted by cellular phone use. In 2013, the number of people slain in distraction related car crashes dropped by 6.7%. Informing the people on the risks of using a cell phone while behind the wheel helps to lower the potential dangers.
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Kentner Wyatt, LLC 435 Nichols Rd #200 Kansas City, MO 64112 (816) 527-0010
