These Texting and Driving Stats Will Make You Put Your Phone Down

What’s so bad about texting while you’re driving? 46 states ban it, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, but why? Well, as the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) reports, “more than 9 people are killed and more than 1,153 people are injured in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver” every day in the United States. And this is not the only alarming statistic related to texting and driving. Here are the hard numbers on why you should never text and drive:

Here are the hard numbers on why you should never text and drive:

The Likelihood of a Cellphone Being Involved in an Accident

The chances that a cellphone will be a factor in a crash are disturbingly high: around 26% by the National Safety Council‘s last count. And of the 26% of crashes involving a cellphone, at least 6% involved texting (and that’s only the number of people who admitted to it or were found out). While the cellphone use isn’t always the only significant factor, since it’s something we can control, it only makes sense to reduce our driving risks by not texting and driving (or even talking on the phone, if we can help it).

How Much Does Texting Increase Your Risk of an Accident?

Clearly cellphones, and specifically texting and driving, are involved in a significant number of crashes. But maybe you aren’t worried that you’ll get into an accident. However, the stats support a different story. Based on the assessment of both “emergency department visits and property damage only crashes,” the National Safety Council informs us that using a cellphone while driving increases the risk of a crash four times. If being on your phone makes an accident four times more likely, maybe it’s time to put down your cell. Yet the CDC describes a recent study in which “about one-third of drivers in the United States reported that they had read or sent text messages or emails while driving.” This dangerous activity is becoming a habit for American drivers, one that we need to quit.

If being on your phone makes an accident four times more likely, maybe it’s time to put down your cell. Yet the CDC describes a recent study in which “about one-third of drivers in the United States reported that they had read or sent text messages or emails while driving.” This dangerous activity is becoming a habit for American drivers, one that we need to quit.

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