ARTICLE 1

Texting and driving is one of the most dangerous forms of distracted driving. In fact, the average text
sent or read in a car takes a driver’s eyes off the road for 5 seconds.1 This is more than enough time
to get in a life-altering accident.

Understanding the Dangers of Texting While Driving

You may know that texting and driving is bad, but may not understand just how bad it really is. It’s
estimated that approximately 660,000 drivers are using an electronic device while driving at any
given time during the day.2 That prevalence is where a lot of the danger lies. With so many people
on the road using highly distracting devices, the potential for accidents—and thus injuries and
fatalities—is incredibly high.

Other Risks to Texting on the Road

Of course lethal consequences or the chance of injuring someone are the biggest risk factors with
texting and driving, but there are other risks as well. Here are some of the other risk factors to
consider before you pick up your phone when you’re behind the wheel.

1. You Are Probably Breaking the Law: In most states, texting and driving is illegal, so you
could get a ticket—and a fine.

2. Your Insurance Could Go Up: If you get a ticket for distracted driving, count on your
insurance rates skyrocketing.

3. You Could Damage Your Car: Even if you don’t hurt someone if you cause an accident while
texting, you could severely damage your car. A totaled vehicle won’t be cheap to repair or
replace.

Texting and driving is risky at best and lethal at worst. To get even more information on how to stay
safe while you are driving, please check out our Car Safety Guide. That resource provides plenty of
suggestions to ensure you’re as safe as you can be on the road.
ARTICLE 2

Dangers of texting while driving

Posted in Auto

Would you ever drive the length of a football field at 55 mph blindfolded? Well that’s essentially
what you’re doing when texting while driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, texting behind the wheel takes a driver’s eye off the road for an average of 4.6
seconds, which is the time it takes to go from one end zone to the other. Dangerous? Incredibly.
Deadly? You bet. Texting while driving has now replaced drinking and driving as the leading cause of
death among teenage drivers.

Teenagers are not the only ones guilty. According to a survey conducted by AT&T, 49 percent of
American adult drivers admitted they text while driving. In that same survey, more than 90 percent
of drivers know texting while driving is dangerous. So why are we still doing it? Experts believe we
compulsively check our phones because every time we get an alert on our phone our brain sends out
a signal that makes us feel happy. Drivers are saying they continue to do this because it’s a habit, like
to stay connected and it makes them feel more productive.

States are now enforcing strict texting while driving laws and public service like AT&T’s campaign It
Can Wait are working hard to educate the public on the dangers and consequences.

Here are some stats and tips on how we can end texting while driving:

Disturbing stats

 More than 3,000 teens die each year in crashes caused by texting while driving
(autosafety.com)

 Cell phones are involved in 1.6 million auto crashes each year that cause a half million
injuries and take 6,000 lives (United States Department of Transportation)

 Truck drivers are 23 times more likely to be in an accident when texting behind the wheel

 It’s estimated that 40 percent of all American teens say they have been in a car when the
driver used a cell phone in a way that puts people in danger (National Safety Council)

 Women are more likely than men to reach for their cell phones while driving (National
Occupant Protection Use)

 48 percent of young drivers have seen their parents text while driving (Consumer Reports)

 Using a cell phone while driving, whether it’s hand-held or hands-free, delays a driver’s
reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent
(National Safety Council)
How you can help

 Lead by example

o Don’t send or respond to a text message while driving or at a red light; doing so puts
you and others at risk and may even be against the law

o Turn off your phone and put it in your pocket or purse; only use it when the car is in
park

 Always stay focused on the road when driving

 Speak out if you are in the car with someone who is texting behind the wheel

 Spread the word to promote safety in your community

Texting while driving will cost you

 Wisconsin’s inattentive driving law prohibits drivers from texting behind the wheel; the
penalty for a first offense is as high as $400 and a four-point deduction; get caught a second
time and you’ll pay up to $800

 Minnesota’s texting laws prohibits drivers from texting behind the wheel; the law also
prohibits sending ‘electronic messages’ and includes but is not limited to email, instant
message, a command or request to access the internet; penalty for a first offense is $300

 Iowa’s inattentive driving law prohibits drivers from texting behind the wheel; the penalty
for a first offense is as high as $1,000 for causing a serious accident

 It’s very easy for law enforcement to subpoena a cell phone company and check your
account to see if you were texting

 Such fines may also increase your auto insurance premiums

ARTICLE 3

Why driving and smartphones don’t mix

Technology has revolutionized the way that we live our lives. We now have the world at our
fingertips, thanks to technological advances that led us to the smartphone. It’s a cell phone, a
camera, and a computer all at once. Smartphones allow us to stay connected to our friends and
family at all times. And they aren’t rare. Almost everyone you know has a cell phone. Even
elementary school kids have cell phones these days. While the smartphone has improved a lot of our
everyday functions, they also endanger us on a daily basis.

Every day, almost one million people use their cell phones while driving. Why is this alarming? Well,
we know that any mobile communication that happens while operating a motor vehicle is linked to a
highly significant increase in distracting driving, which can result in not only injury but the loss of life.
Checking your text messages, phone calls, emails or any other mobile applications puts not only
yourself but everyone around you at a serious risk.

A driver can only glance away from the road for 2 seconds and still safely maintain the vehicle.
However, the average text message consumes 5 seconds of a driver’s attention. While that might
not sound like much, that is all it takes for something to go seriously wrong. If your car is going 60
miles per hour, and you take your eyes off the road for 5 seconds, you will travel for 440 feet
without seeing what is ahead of you. There are a ton of things that could happen in 440 feet that
could cause serious damage.

Initiatives to stop texting while driving

In 2013, there were 341,000 motor vehicle crashes that involved texting. It is suggested that there is
a one in four chance that a motor vehicle crash will involve a cell phone. Even though using a cell
phone increases the likelihood of a crash by four times, it is still a commonplace. 33% of drivers from
the United States, ages 18-64, reported reading or writing text messages while driving. Why is that?
Texting while driving is 6 times more likely to cause an accident than driving drunk. Even though 9
Americans are killed every single day from motor vehicle accidents that involved a distracted driver,
we still don’t do much to stop it.

Currently, there is no federal law in the United States that bans texting while driving. However, while
there is no federal law, 46 states, plus Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, have banned
texting for all drivers, regardless of their age. Georgia is one of those states to have established such
laws. 14 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have
taken it a step further and prohibited drivers from using hand-held devices at all while they are
behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.

Because the popularity of smartphones and instant communication has risen to an unprecedented
level, eradicating using cell phones while driving is going to be a hard fight, but just because it is a
hard fight doesn’t mean that it isn’t a worthwhile fight. 18% of all fatal crashes are because the
driver was distracted. That doesn’t have to continue. There are things that we can do to help save
lives.
Teens and young adults are the most likely age group to participate in texting while driving.
According to the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, the easiest way to give teens
instructions to not use their cell phone while driving is to say: “On the road, off the phone.” Even
before your teen gets their driver’s license, discuss with them the dangers of texting while driving,
and that it could cost someone their life.

In addition to talking with teens, it is important that you lead by example. People, especially
children, learn from the behavior of others and their parents. Be an example. If you need to talk to
someone, pull off the road to call them or text them.

Another way that we can help stop texting and driving is to get involved in the fight to stop it. There
are several community outreach programs that aim to help stop the dangerous practice. AT&T’s It
Can Wait Pledge is a great tool to help show others that texting and driving is dangerous. Since its
creation, over 4 million people have pledged to never text and drive. One of the most effective ways
to share this tool is word of mouth. Take the pledge, and then tell your friends, family, coworkers—
anyone—about it.

Texting and driving doesn’t have to be a common killer among us. Make sure you do your part to
make the roads a safer place for everyone. If you happen to be injured in a motor vehicle crash, seek
assistance from a reputable law firm like Kopelman Sitton for advice and quality representation.
ARTICLE 4

10 Pragmatic Reasons That Will Make You Stop Texting and Driving Today

We’ve all seen the commercials. A driver takes his or her eyes off the road to read a text message,
three seconds, maybe four… and suddenly the driver’s life is changed by a horrific accident.

The next time you hear that irresistible beep or feel that buzz, remember these 10 reasons not to
text and drive.

10 Reasons Not To Text and Drive

1. It’s (Probably) Illegal

As the correlation between auto accidents and texting while driving escalates, many municipalities
and states are passing legislation making it illegal to text and drive.

Those who are caught will be issued a citation by a policeman who will most likely be quite
perturbed at the driver’s ignorance and poor decision after witnessing the devastating effects of
texting and driving at accident sites. A text message that reads “ok” isn’t worth a couple hundred
dollar fine.

2. Insurance Rate Hikes

You think your auto insurance premium is too expensive now? Just wait until your insurance
company finds out that you have received a citation for texting and driving! If texting and driving is
included in the police report for an accident or wreck for which you are held responsible, you’ll
notice an even more significant rate increase. In some cases, you policy might be dropped
completely.

3. Consider Your Passengers

Transporting other human beings in your vehicle is a tremendous responsibility, on that many
young drivers take lightly. Sending or reading a text message while driving puts your passengers’
lives at a significantly higher risk of being involved in an accident while riding in your vehicle. Could
you live with the knowledge that your decision to pick up your phone while operating a vehicle
caused someone to suffer a life-altering injury or be killed?

4. Consider Other Motorists

Texting and driving puts all the drivers sharing the road with you at risk, too, because you are
unable to navigate the road while looking down at the phone in your lap.

5. Protect The Pedestrians

Humans are smaller and less noticeable than vehicles, making the likelihood of you seeing a
pedestrian in your peripheral vision while looking at your cell phone slim.
 6. It Only Takes A Couple Of Seconds To Park Your Vehicle

If you simply cannot resist the urge to check your text messages (or take a call) while driving, take
the time to pull off of the roadway and park your vehicle before picking up your cell
phone. Remember: red lights and stop signs are not safe places to check you cell phone. Find a
parking lot, or pull over at a safe location on the side of the road.

7. Hands-free Technology Is Easy To Use & Widely Available

Many brands of new cars are equipped with technology that connects your cell phone to your
vehicle’s stereo system. If you drive an older model vehicle, invest in a cell phone with Bluetooth
technology and voice recognition technology that will allow you to send and receive messages
hands-free.

8. Autocorrect Mishaps

Cell phones’ autocorrect features are notorious for funny failures. Although sending a slightly
embarrassing text message certainly isn’t the most serious consequence of texting and driving, it’s
definitely a reason not to.

9. Texting & Driving Is More Debilitating To Your Reaction Time Than Driving While Under
The Influence Of Alcohol

According to this study conducted by Car and Driver magazine, as well as several others by various
safety institutions, using a cell phone to read or send text messages delays a driver’s reaction
time as much or more than the legal limit of alcohol consumption.

10. You Are MUCH More Likely To Have A Wreck

In 2011, 1.3 million automobile accidents were caused by texting and driving. Texting and driving
makes you twenty-three percent more likely to be involved in an accident.
ARTICLE 5

The Cause & Effects of Texting While Driving

Sending text messaging while driving distracts attention from the main task: driving the car safely.
Text messaging sometimes contributes to deadly accidents, which has prompted several jurisdictions
to ban the practice. The reasons people text while driving can be difficult to pin down, but the
effects of it are visible on the roads and in the news.

Cause: Convenience

Text messaging is prevalent in our connected society: Americans send upwards of 100 billion text
messages every month. Some of these go out t while the sender is behind the wheel of a car. The
reasons for this can include any number of things, including convenience. Sending someone a brief
text is easier, and sometimes faster, than calling them. All modern cell phones can send and receive
texts, making it an efficient method of communicating.

Cause: Culture, Age and Peer Pressure

A study by the American Automobile Association revealed that 46 percent of teens text message
while driving, and 51 percent talk on their cell phones behind the wheel. While there is no evidence
that teens openly pressure their peers into texting while driving, there is an expectation in the
culture to respond promptly to text messages, even when you are driving. This need to
communicate instantaneously causes drivers to respond to texts, which leads to distraction and
accidents.

Effects:

Texting while driving distracts drivers from the road. A study by the Virginia Tech Transportation
Institute claimed that drivers who texted behind the wheel were 23 times more likely to be involved
in a serious accident compared with drivers who made phone calls, which increased their risk of
accident six times. Talking on the phone can take concentration off the road. When a driver looks
down at their phone to text, they also take their eyes off the road.

Legal Implications

Several jurisdictions have imposed penalties for drivers caught texting behind the wheel. In early
May 2011, the state of New York made texting an offense worth two points' deduction from your
license and gave police the power to stop someone simply for texting while driving. Under previous
state law, police could offer a citation for texting while driving but they needed another reason to
pull a car over. Many other states have begun to impose fines on distracted drivers in order to cut
back on the number of texting and driving fatalities.