Safe Driving Tips – Cell Phones as Dangerous as Drunk Driving

We all know the dangers of drinking and driving - but studies show texting and driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving! A study from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute estimates that texting and driving makes car accidents 23 times more likely than not using cell phones while driving.

Previously, researchers have studied the risks of texting and driving with driving stimulators. In the Virginia Tech study, video cameras were installed in actual vehicles to get real-data. While stimulation studies show that drivers talking on cell phones are 4 times more likely to crash than drivers not using cell phones, the videotaping study found drivers are 3 times more likely to crash when dialing the phone, and 1.3 times more likely when talking on the phone, and 23 times more likely to crash when texting.

Drivers with blood alcohol levels of .10 or greater are 7 times more likely to be involved in a car crash than someone who has not had any alcohol; and drivers with alcohol concentrations of .15 or more are 25 times more likely to get into an accident. These statistics put texting and driving at about the same risk level for accidents as drunk driving.

A summary of the Virginia Tech Transportation study findings regarding cell phone use while driving, as provided by this article on the insights of cell phone use, texting and driving:

• Dialing a cell phone made the risk of crash or near-crash event 5.9 times as high as non-distracted driving;
  
  
• Talking or listening to a cell phone made the risk of crash or near-crash event 1.0 times as high as non-distracted driving;
  
  
• Use of, or reach for, an electronic device made the risk of crash or near-crash event 6.7 times as high as non-distracted driving; and
  
  
• Text messaging made the risk of crash or near-crash event 23.2 times as high as non-distracted driving."
  
  
  

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