In the past 10 years, cell phones have skyrocketed in popularity and have become the primary mode of communication for many people. The ability to text over the phone has also added to the popularity of cell phone communication, with people sending each other personal messages directly to and from their phones. The task has become so addictive that some people just can't bear to leave a text unread, even in a movie theater, in class, at work, or on the road. While the frequency of texting may be a nuisance in some cases, texting while driving can be a deadly mistake.

The Limits of the Attention Span

In the digital age, many of us have become adept at multitasking. We write emails while talking on the phone and keeping one eye on the current TV program. Admittedly, it is difficult to do any one thing well when trying to do multiple things at once, but messing up an email or missing a moment of a TV program will, at the most, cause momentary confusion. Trying to multitask while driving, however, can cause a deadly accident.

Driving is an activity that requires mental focus, constant visual evaluation of the road, and physical control. Mixing driving with an activity like texting can cause you to miss a car braking suddenly in front of you, a bad driver cutting you off, a pedestrian crossing the road, or a light turning red. Taking your eyes away from the road for even just a second can be devastating for everyone involved.

How Bad is Texting While Driving?

A recent study completed by a prominent automobile association in the U.S. found that texting while driving increases your chances of having an accident by 50%. To put this into perspective, a study from the New England Journal of Medicine reports that the risk of having an accident while using your cell phone and driving is the same as driving drunk just above the legal limit (.08 BAC). Road and traffic conditions can change so quickly that texters, like drunk drivers, have little time to realize their mistake, let alone take action to avoid an accident.

Avoiding the Risk

Many people, especially teens, believe that this simply cannot happen to them because they are careful enough. However, the danger involved in texting while driving doesn't necessarily imply that you will swerve or otherwise change the direction of your car in a way that causes an accident, although that frequently happens. There is also a great danger that another driver or road user will make a reckless move and, because you are texting, you will not have a chance to react and avoid a collision.

Teenagers and adults alike who have texted while driving have been responsible for hitting and killing pedestrians, bicyclists, other drivers, passengers, young children on sidewalks, and many others. While you may think your chances of having an accident are low, it is simply not worth the risk to text while driving and put yourself and others at risk of being injured or killed. The message can wait.

For More Information

If you or someone you love has been involved in an accident with someone who was texting while driving, the careless driver may be liable for your injuries and damages and you may be entitled to compensation. To learn more about the dangers of texting while driving and accident liability, please visit the website of experienced Austin personal injury attorney Vic Feazell, P.C. today.