While driving on Kentucky roadways, you may all too often see other drivers operating their vehicle with a mobile device in their hands. Whether they are using them to read or write a text, look at directions or seek information on the internet, this is a dangerous practice with the opportunity for devastating consequences.
Time Magazine notes that soon after the introduction of smartphones, people saw a negative impact on the road as a result of this technology. Accidents ranging from fender-benders to deaths that resulted from distracted driving began to proliferate, triggering a massive blitz of numerous safety campaigns. Whether from television, radio, billboards or in the newspaper, drivers were warned of the dangers of texting and driving via crash scene photographs, stories and statistics.
Now, more than a decade later, the sobering statistic is that despite all the evidence, drivers are still operating their mobile devices during approximately 88% of all trips. The reason for this is sadly because drivers are not convinced that this behavior is indeed dangerous. They prefer to believe that they have the capability to switch their vision back and forth quickly enough to avert an accident.
However, studies prove this to be a false belief. In fact, after removing our eyes from a mobile device it may take almost 30 seconds for the brain to properly refocus onto the road ahead. Thus, any use of a cellphone while driving truly does have the potential to be the cause of an accident.
This information is here for educational purposes and is not intended to be legal advice.