Unfortunately, most of us know someone who has answered a text while driving. Cell phones are with us everywhere we go, and they are a major contributor to distracted driving accidents.
But are these types of accidents always reported? No, according to the National Safety Council.
According to a recent investigation of state and federal data, deaths that result from cell phone related accidents are seriously underreported. In a study financed in part by the Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, the advocacy group reviewed approximately 180 fatal car accidents spanning the years of 2009, 2010, and 2011, in which there was strong evidence of cellphone usage by the driver. The results found that only 8% of the 2009 crashes were coded as involving cell phones. Even in cases where drivers openly admitted to using a phone during an accident in which someone was killed, roughly half of the cases cited other causes instead.
How does study impact you?
Under-reporting can send a message of false security to drivers, leading them to believe that distracted driving (ie texting and driving) isn’t as dangerous as they’ve been told. Now, the Council has asked National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to begin setudies to determine whether it is feasible to estimate cellphone distracted car accident numbers in a way similar to instances involving alleged drunk driving.
Of the more than 32,000 traffic deaths that occurred in the United States in 2011, only 385 were listed as involving cellphones. San Diego Car Accident Lawyer Steven Elia is committed to helping victims seek justice for the physical and mental harm caused to them in distracted driving car crashes. Despite the statistics, distraction still remains a serious problem on our San Diego roadways.
If you or a loved one has been a victim of a San Diego distracted driving accident, contact The Law Office of Steven Elia.
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