Byron Carlson Petri & Kalb, LLC | attorneys at law

New survey reveals why drivers in Illinois continue to text and drive

by | Jan 13, 2020 | Car Accidents, Personal Injury

There are many different reasons why drivers continue to text and drive, despite recognizing the dangers of this activity.

In Illinois, according to Distraction.gov, it is illegal for drivers of all ages to text and drive. However, a new survey, completed by AT&T, reveals that many drivers discount the fact that victims of car crashes are created every day in collisions involving distraction and continue to text and drive. According to this survey, approximately 98 percent of the drivers who owned cellphones and drove regularly admitted that they knew that texting while driving is dangerous. Despite this realization, three-quarters of these drivers said that they still participated in this activity.

Common reasons why drivers text

There were many reasons cited by the participants in this survey as to why they continue to text and drive. These included some of the following:

  • More than a quarter of the participants said that their driving performance is not affected when they text behind the wheel.
  • Forty three percent of the participants said that they wanted to stay connected to their friends, family members and co-workers while driving.
  • Fourteen percent of the respondents claimed that they feel anxious when they receive a text and do not respond to it right away.
  • Over a quarter of the drivers believed that others expect them to respond to a text as soon as they receive it.

Some of the other reasons why those surveyed reported that they still text behind the wheel included an addiction to texting, a fear of missing out on something important and the sense of satisfaction that comes from reading a text and responding to it.

Texting isn’t the only dangerous form of distraction

Although texting-related accidents cause those involved to experience immense pain and suffering, texting and driving is not the only form of distraction that endangers the lives of others. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, any activity that takes a driver’s full focus away from operating a vehicle can be considered distracted driving.

For example, a driver can become distracted when he or she tries to eat breakfast while commuting to work. Or, a driver can become distracted when he or she switches the station on the radio or talks intently with another passenger in the vehicle.

Distracted driving is a serious problem in Illinois

Distracted driving injures and kills many in Illinois and throughout the country every day. The CDC states that on a daily basis in the U.S., more than nine people are killed and over 1,000 are injured in distracted driving-related collisions. If you were harmed in an accident caused by a distracted driver, reach out to an attorney to determine what legal steps you should take next.

Keywords: distracted, driving, texting, accident, injury

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