Surprising Texting and Driving Statistics that St Petersburg Parents Need to Know

Recent texting and driving statistics have shown that distracted driving has become a major problem throughout the country, and St Petersburg is no exception.

How many distracted drivers are on the road?

Out of all of the statistics that have surfaced when it comes to distracted driving, few are as shocking as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s approximation of just how many distracted drivers there are out there.

According to the NHTSA, roughly 660,000 drivers are using a smartphone or similar electronic device while they’re behind the wheel at any given moment of daylight in the United States.

How dangerous is texting while driving?

This figure becomes even more disconcerting once you understand just how dangerous distracted driving behaviors like texting while driving really are.

The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute conducted research into how much of a driver’s attention is diverted from the road by texting. They found that the average driver is looking away from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds every time a text message is read or sent. That’s enough time for a vehicle traveling at 55 mph to cross the distance of an entire football field.

VTTI also found that a driver who is texting while driving may be as much as 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving was responsible for 18 percent of all fatal motor vehicle accidents in 2010, resulting in 3,092 fatalities.

If you or a loved one has been injured in St Petersburg car accident, call Abrahamson & Uiterwyk now at 1-800-538-4878.

Don’t delay. Call Abrahamson & Uiterwyk now for a complimentary evaluation of your case through a free consultation with our injury law team at 1-800-538-4878.