Study Finds Dialing a Phone Is Most Dangerous Form of Distracted Driving
As a college town, State College, Pennsylvania, has lively sidewalks, walkways, and intersections, always bustling with students and residents hurrying to class and work. This foot and bicycle traffic boosts the local economy and encourages people to get green and exercise.
With all these pedestrians around State College, however, accidents are bound to happen. In many instances, the driver is to blame, as he or she is focused on something other than the road in front of them.
Distracted driving is a serious problem in State College that leads to many criminal charges for Pennsylvania motorists.
In a recent study by the New England Journal of Medicine, distracted driving isn’t a problem that’s going away—the only thing changing are the distractions themselves. Researches studied 42 newly licensed drivers ages 16 to 17 and 109 more experienced drivers.
The study looked at the effects of “secondary tasks,” or things that took the attention and eyes of the driver off the road, even for a short amount of time. Texting, reaching for a cellphone and other objects, and looking at roadside items significantly increased the risk of crashes or near crashes for teens, as expected.
What surprised researchers, however, was dialing. For teens, the odds were eight times higher that they would be involved in a crash or near miss when dialing while driving. For adults, the odds doubled. Dialing was the most dangerous distraction for both groups observed.
Eating behind the wheel also significantly increased the odds of a crash or near crash, raising the risk 2.6 times for teens and 0.7 for adults.
As criminal defense attorneys in State College, Pennsylvania, we’ve seen the tragic results of distracted driving, and understand the severe legal consequences. Please be attentive behind the wheel, use hands-free calling if possible, and be on the lookout for pedestrians on the streets and sidewalks of State College!
For more information on the New England Journal of Medicine study, check out this recent article from AL.com.
Study Finds Dialing a Phone Is Most Dangerous Form of Distracted Driving was last modified: November 12th, 2015 by Steven Trialonas