Many people in Pennsylvania can’t stop texting and driving

A recent study discovered that many drivers cannot stop themselves from texting while their vehicle is in motion.

Most people in Pennsylvania realize that texting and driving is a dangerous activity. However, many drivers cannot resist the urge to pick up their cellphone and send, write and read text messages behind the wheel. According to a recent study, states Time, 18 percent of the people who participated said that they could not stop themselves from texting and driving.

Additionally, of the participants who were between the ages of 18 to 34, 17 percent admitted that they text and drive “always or often.” Of the participants between the ages of 35 to 54, seven percent reported that they did the same thing.

Why texting and driving is so dangerous

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, any activity that takes a driver’s full attention away from the road is considered distracted driving. Additionally, there are three main types of driver distraction that can cause injurious or fatal car accidents, which include:

• Manual distraction – manual distraction occurs when a driver removes his or her hands from the steering wheel. For example, a driver is manually distracted when he or she uses one of his or her hands to reach for something on the passenger seat.
• Visual distraction – a driver who takes his or her eyes away from the road is visually distracted. For instance, a driver becomes visually distracted when he or she looks at a GPS device instead of the road in front of him or her.
• Cognitive distraction – cognitive distraction is defined as any distraction that forces a driver to take his or her mind off of operating a vehicle. For example, a driver who focuses intently on his or her daily tasks while his or her vehicle is in motion is cognitively distracted.

Although manual, visual and cognitive distracted driving activities are all dangerous, texting and driving is particularly hazardous because it combines these three forms of distraction.

Cellphone laws in Pennsylvania

To reduce the number of accidents caused by texting and driving, the state of Pennsylvania has banned texting and driving for drivers of all ages, states Distraction.gov. However, many drivers ignore this law and continue to cause serious car accidents. The CDC states that on a daily basis in the U.S., over 1,000 people are injured and more than nine people are killed in accidents involving distraction.

Those who survive a texting and driving accident in Pennsylvania may find that they have a difficult time living a normal daily life. If you were injured in a car accident caused by a texting driver, consult with an attorney in your area to determine what you can do to protect your best interests.

Distracted driving laws by state

Keywords: distracted, driving, texting, accident