Maine Injury Lawyer Blog
You wouldn’t drive with a blindfold on. So why do motorists drive without looking at the road?sWe’re talking about texting while driving. It’s not exactly putting a blindfold over your eyes and hitting the road, but it has the same effect at times.To help to get drivers’ eyes back on the road, Randall Stephenson, CEO of AT&T, is pushing the “It Can Wait” anti-texting campaign.
Although this campaign is for drivers of all ages, it targets younger drivers as they’re most likely to engage in distractions behind the wheel. To help to get more drivers on board, the campaign recently announced its “No Text on Board — Pledge Day.”sThis day, September 19th, is being used to urge drivers to take the pledge to keep the phone out of the driver’s seat. You don’t have to wait until the 19th to take the pledge either. Drivers can take it any day up until then, according to CNN Tech.
The “It Can Wait” campaign has been going strong since 2009. AT&T has decided to push it a little harder with the release of new distracted driving stats. It’s clear that drivers aren’t getting the message and they’re continuing to jeopardize everyone’s safety on our roadways.
Our Bangor car accident attorneys understand how serious of a problem texting drivers are becoming. In just 2010, the number of drivers who admitted to texting behind the wheel increased by 50 percent. Only about 20 percent of drivers said that they engaged in this dangerous driving behavior in 2009. It’s so bad that there were more than 3,000 people killed in distracted driving car accidents in just 2010. There were also more than 415,000 people who were injured in these accidents.
Teens are the worst!sAccording to a recent study with the Pew Internet & American Life Project, more than 40 percent of teenage drivers admitted that they text messaged behind the wheel.
So how serious is it?sIf you text message while driving, you’re increasing your risks for a car accident by at least 23 times.
The AT&T campaign is asking you to join the fight against dangerous driving habits by pledging to make a change in your own. It’s not only AT&T that’s getting in on the action. Verizon and Sprint also have their own anti-texting campaigns. Stephenson says that he welcomes all of the advocacy. He adds that the more awareness that we raise, the better our chances are for getting drivers to stop texting behind the wheel.
“People are dying … we just need everyone to get after this and reverse this trend,” Stephenson said.
Text messaging takes a driver’s eyes from the street for about of 4.5 seconds. When you’re driving at 55 miles per hour, you can travel the entire length of a football field in that time without ever looking at the road.
Contact Peter Thompson & Associates if you have been injured in a car accident. Call 1-800-804-2004 for a confidential appointment to speak to a lawyer about your rights.
Additional Resources:
AT&T asks drivers to take no-texting pledge, by Doug Gross, CNN
More Blog Entries:
Summer Vacation Plans & Your Risks for Car Accidents in Bangor, Maine Injury Lawyer Blog, July 16, 2012
Congress Funds Safe Driving Initiatives in Portland, elsewhere, Maine Injury Lawyer Blog, July 10, 2012