When someone engages in distracted driving practices, such as texting and driving, they rarely think about the people that they may hit if they get into an accident. It’s easy enough for them to just think of it from their own position. They know it puts them at risk, but they are either willing to accept that risk or they do not comprehend just how high the risk level is. Either way, they only consider the danger to themselves.
One would think that having children in the car would naturally make people stop allowing themselves to get distracted by their phones. It’s one thing for a parent to think about their own health and well-being, but it is quite another when they have to ask themselves if they are putting their child’s life in danger, as well. Isn’t that enough of a deterrent?
It’s not. In one study, 760 people from all over the United States self-reported on their own driving habits. They all had children to take care of who were between the ages of 4 and 10, and they reported on what they would do while driving with the kids in the car. Here are the results:
- 13.7% admitted that they would use social media behind the wheel
- 26.7% claimed that they had sent text messages to others
- 33.7% said that, while perhaps not sending messages, they would read the ones that they got
- 47% acknowledged that they would talk on the phone while physically holding it in their hand
- 52.2%, a majority, said they would use a hands-free phone to talk, despite the fact that it is still a distraction
This study suggests that almost nothing can really stop distracted driving, so those who get injured need to know what rights they have to compensation.
