Most people in Mississippi are now aware that distracted driving is a leading cause of fatal car accidents. The significance of distracted driving as a cause of serious auto accidents in Mississippi and other states has grown at an exponential rate along with the growth of mobile phones and other wireless communication devices.
Cell phone use and texting while driving is now widely acknowledged to rival drunk driving as a leading cause of auto accident related injuries and fatalities. The significant impact of wireless communication devices on auto accident rates was not yet well established when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) decided to suppress hundreds of pages of research and warnings about cell phone use while driving in 2003. Among the findings that were suppressed when the 2003 data was gathered:
- Talking on cell phones resulted in 955 fatalities in 2002
- Cell phones played a role in 240,000 car accidents in 2003
- Hands free use of cell phones did not affect accident rates
- Texting while driving would probably have an even greater adverse impact than talking on cell phones
The NHTSA indicated that these conclusions and the data collected was suppressed to avoid antagonizing Congress who believed release of the information might be viewed as lobbying states in developing specific cell phone related distracted driving laws. While this is not the first time that politics has trumped public safety considerations, it may be one of the more costly examples.
The NHTSA has since conceded that distracted driving including use of cell phones when driving may have emerged as an even greater threat of causing serious auto accidents than drunk driving. A study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has revealed that drivers who are talking on a cell phone when driving increase the risk of being involved in an auto accident resulting in personal injury by as much as 400 percent. A study conducted by the University of Utah indicated that a driver who is texting while driving has slower response time than a driver with a blood alcohol level of .08%, which is the threshold at which a driver is considered to be driving under the influence of alcohol.
Many states have been slow to respond to cell phones as a serious auto accident risk. Tragically, a substantial number of lives might have been saved by making data public earlier regarding the scope of the danger posed by texting while driving and the lack of effectiveness of hands free cell phone laws. The Barrett Law Office has been representing personal injury victims throughout Mississippi since 1933.
We have helped people throughout the state of Mississippi injured or killed by distracted drivers obtain the financial compensation they deserve. Our Mississippi personal injury attorneys offer a free initial case evaluation so call us today at (662) 834-2376 so that we can help you on your road to recovery.