The epidemic of distracted driving is putting drivers in Florida and throughout the country at risk. Safety officials are making a concerted effort to get people to put their phones away while driving. There is good reason for this focus on distracted driving as estimates find that more than a quarter of all collisions stem from cell phone use. That number does not account for all the other distracted behaviors drivers engage in when behind the wheel.
Yet even with all this attention aimed toward this serious problem, distracted drivers continue to put others at risk every day. Not only are drivers repeatedly looking at their phones rather than at the highway, but the number of drivers engaging in this risky behavior may be worse than previously thought.
How many drivers are using their cell phones?
A recent study from Zendrive, a company that provides safety analytics to fleet and insurance companies, compiled data of from 100 billion miles driven. The results are startling:
- 60 percent of drivers use their phones at least once per day.
- In any hour of the day, approximately 40 percent of drivers on the road will use their phones at least once.
- Nearly 70 million drivers use their phones at least once every day.
- Except for Vermont, distracted driving increased in every state over the past year.
The most recent government data estimates that approximately 660,000 drivers use a phone during the daytime. In other words, the data from Zendrive points to a problem that is 100 times worse than originally assumed.
The silver lining to this study is that Florida ranks as the 14th least distracted state in the nation. This is safer than Georgia (18th), Alabama (34th) and Mississippi, which Zendrive found to be the most distracted state in the country.
Distracted driving is negligent driving
When you consider the high speeds that drivers use on Florida’s highways, it is easy to see how the chances of accidents can skyrocket when people are engaging in distracted behaviors.
When car accidents occur, Florida uses comparative negligence to determine the amount of damages that will be paid out. Proving that the other driver’s distracted behavior caused the accident is one of the best ways for a driver to recover full compensation for their injuries. PA is a law firm with extensive knowledge in this area of law and can use that experience to help injured motorists.