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6,000 Americans Die Each Year From Driver Text Messaging

Posted on Wed, Jun 09, 2010 @ 08:55 AM

Text Messaging while DrivingNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration research shows nearly 6,000 people died in 2008 in crashes involving a distracted or inattentive driver, and more than 500,000 were injured.  This is a national crisis and a growing concern for transportation safety officials.

To put this into perspective… on any given day in 2008 nearly 1 million vehicles (800,000 to be precise) were being operated by someone using a hand-held cell phone.

A recent study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found drivers who send and receive text messages take their eyes off the road an average of 4.6 seconds out of every 6 seconds while texting. At 55 MPH, a vehicle travels more than the length of a football field (371 feet to be precise) in 4.6 seconds.

The high number of fatalities and injuries are small wonder when considering these factors.  In fact, it’s hard to believe the numbers aren’t worse.  It is, in no uncertain terms, a national disaster but one which we all have the capacity to correct.

No text message, no telephone call is so important as to justify putting another human being at risk of injury or death.

Drive time is not the time to catch up with family or friends.

Drive time is not the time to catch up on voice mails or e-mails.

Drive time is not the time to touch base with a customer or make a sales call.

Drive time is definitely not the time to be texting or reading texts.

None of these tasks will seem even remotely sufficient to justify or rationalize a crash and injuries or deaths.  Certainly none of them will sway a jury should you face criminal charges as a result of a crash.

None of the excuses for performing these distracting behaviors behind the wheel will ever heel the pain if it is your loved one who is hurt or killed.

Stop!  Think!  Resolve not to drive distracted.  The reasons to drive distracted are hollow and the consequences are devastating and life changing.

Safety is no accident.  Safety is personal.  Safety is in your hands.

Posted by Kevin Mullen: Director- Saftey, ADS Logistics

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Comments

It is a rising problem and you can look anywhere on the roads of California and find someone texting while driving. A very good safety topic for our drivers.
Posted @ Thursday, June 17, 2010 4:25 PM by Walter Burciaga
I don't think epidemic is too strong a word. It's a tough genie to put back in the bottle but we have to try. 
 
Thanks for your comments, Walter.
Posted @ Thursday, June 17, 2010 5:04 PM by Kevin Mullen
iful, beloved, 19yr. old son was killed by a distracted driver on July 25, 2009. My son was cycling when the 19 yr. old driver of a truck,traveling at 55-60mph struck him from behind, on a straight road, in broad daylight, with no visual obscurements. The driver denied any distractions. The police did not check her phone for texting and did not impound her phone at the scene. Weeks later, when the phone was impounded by the District Attorney's office, the texting had been erased. Court ordered phone records, revealed texting (both incoming and outgong) occurred at the time of my son's death. My son was violently killed for a text message.
Posted @ Sunday, July 11, 2010 4:49 PM by Eilene Okerblom
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