Distracted driving is contributing to more and more accidents as smartphone technology advances. Drivers in the southern United States are more likely to be involved in accidents linked to distracted driving, according to research.
More distracted drivers are in the south
Everquote, an insurance company, gathered information during 2.7 million car trips over 230 million miles by people who used its Everdrive app.
The app is used by customers who want to improve their safety habits. The smartphone components detect speeding, as well as the telltale signs of distraction like phone use and sudden stops, speeding up and turns, said CEO Seth Birnbaum.
The most serious distracted driving problem was found to exist in Mississippi. In the southern state, drivers use their phones, either for talking or texting, on almost 50 percent of their trips.
Florida ranks second on Everquote’s list of states with the highest proportion of drivers using phones while driving.
The Huffington Post reported beyond Florida and Mississippi, drivers in other Southern states of Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, South Carolina and Tennessee also use their phones more often on the road than drivers in other parts of the nation, averaging 41 to 44 percent of their trips, according to Everquote.
The study pointed to alarmingly high levels of cell phone use. The findings suggested 92 percent of drivers nationwide who have cell phones used them while in a moving car at least once in a 30 period.
Some of the states with the worst distracted driving records have the laxest laws relating to texting.
In Mississippi, state police have complained anti-texting laws are inadequate. Mississippi has no ban on talking on the phone while driving, except for school bus drivers.
In Georgia, it’s illegal for drivers to text at the wheel. You can even get a ticket if you are stopped at the time.
Novice drivers under 18 cannot use a hand-held or a hands-free phone behind the wheel, states DMV.
A primary law in the state bans school bus drivers from using both hand-held and hands-free cell phones while driving.
Distracted drivers are a menace on the roads of Georgia and elsewhere. Young people are more likely to text or access social media while they are driving, according to research. Over the summer months, more young people are on the highways.
If you have been hurt in an accident with a distracted driver, please contact the Law Offices of Michael West at (404) 913-1529.