Shocking Statistics Regarding Drivers and Hand-Held Mobile Devices
If your state isn’t hands-free yet, the laws are probably coming. Mobile device use while driving is resulting in many distracted driver accidents. In California, it is already illegal, and drivers under the age of 18 are not even allowed to use mobile phones in a hands-free manner. Here are some stats that show a shameless disregard for these laws.
- In 2015 approximately 2.2% of drivers were caught driving illegally using a handheld device.
- For the 18-24 age group, that figure is a shocking 4.9%, revealing that younger drivers seem more comfortable breaking this law to use a cell phone while driving.
- The biggest increase in handheld device usage occurred among drivers in rural areas.
- Drivers with children under the age of 8 were the least likely to break the law regarding hand-held devices.
The offenses ranged from making calls to reading and sending texts. In 2015, it was reported that 391,000 accidents occurred due to distraction and risky behaviors like those mentioned here. Distracted drivers were also to blame for 3,450 deaths during that calendar year.
Injuries Due to Distracted Drivers in California
California is a fault state, so the insurance of the distracted driver should be on the hook for medical bills, lost wages, and any pain and suffering that was caused, especially if the result was a wrongful death. The compassionate personal injury attorneys at Petrov Law Firm are in your corner to help you get what you deserve from the insurance company that will likely try to settle for as little as possible if you don’t have assistance. To get in touch about your case, please call us today at 619-344-0360 to schedule an appointment at any of our Southern California offices.
