Despite warnings from researchers, political leaders and law enforcement, not everybody has gotten the message that distracted driving is dangerous. With a cellphone in virtually every car, truck and SUV in San Antonio, drivers talking and texting on their phones is a common sight. Inevitably, many of these distracted drivers crash into other vehicles. Many of these car accidents cause serious harm to innocent people.
Car wrecks caused by distracted drivers are a nationwide safety problem. But the danger may be worse in some states than others, according to an analysis of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Zendrive, which calculates what percentage of the time drivers spend looking at their phones, on average. The NHTSA data compiled data on fatal crashes caused by distracted drivers and ranked the states from least distracted to most distracted.
Where did Texas rank?
When this information is combined by state, Texas comes out ranking as the 18th least distracted state. Our neighbors to the west, New Mexico, came out the worst. Research indicates that drivers there spend as much as eight percent of their time on the road distracted by their phones. In other words, a New Mexico motorist on an hour-long commute might spend nearly five minutes texting, talking or using apps on their phone instead of focusing on driving. As we all know, just a few seconds of focus taken off the road is all it can take to cause a terrible wreck.
The effects of a distracted driving accident can last a lifetime
It’s a good sign that Texas ranked above average in this study. But distracted driving is still a huge problem statewide, including here in the San Antonio area. A distracted driver can take away your physical abilities, your independence, or even the life of a loved one. When a distracted driver causes serious injuries, their victims may have the right to seek compensation through a personal injury lawsuit.