If you’re a new driver, placing a phone call is more dangerous than reading a text message, and reaching for an object is more apt to cause a crash than eating while driving. Veteran drivers also face an increased risk of an accident while using a cell phone. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development monitored 151 licensed drivers, 42 rookies and 109 veterans, to determine what those drivers were doing immediately prior to an accident or a near-miss. Their findings were published in January in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The most contentious element will no doubt be the finding that merely talking on a cell phone doesn’t increase the risk of an accident, a finding that was consistent among both groups of drivers. Instead, the real danger is posed by dialing a cell phone or reaching to answer one. Those two acts are even more dangerous than texting, according to the report. For new drivers, tasks that take their eyes away the road “pose a very high risk for crash,” the report’s co-author, Bruce Simons-Morton, told Reuters Health. “It’s true for adults too,” he added, “but they seem to be better than novices at dividing their attention,” he said.
Each automobile used in the study was equipped with forward radar, a GPS, a lane tracker, a device that measures acceleration, and four cameras. Several accidents but no serious injuries occurred as the study was being conducted.
If you’ve suffered a personal injury in a traffic accident I California, and you believe the other driver was distracted – and thus negligent – you may have grounds for a personal injury claim. Speak with an experienced California personal injury attorney. A good personal injury lawyer will assess your situation and give you seasoned legal advice. Should you choose to pursue a personal injury claim, an experienced personal injury attorney will fight aggressively for every cent of compensation you deserve. If you’re injured by a distracted driver, see a good personal injury lawyer as quickly as possible.