Study Shows Increase in Distracted Driving in California
The number of distracted drivers on the roadways of California is increasing, a new study says.
The study, conducted by members of the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), was released recently to promote the state's second annual Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
In the study, 130 intersections throughout California were targeted as traffic safety officials looked for evidence that drivers were using both hands-free and hand-held equipment as well as texting and other mobile device use while driving.
The findings were surprising; 11% of people on the road use cellphones at any time of day. This is a 7% increase from last year.
Although cell phone use while driving increased throughout all age groups, 16 to 25 year olds showed the most dramatic rise, going from just 9 percent last year to 18 percent this year.
"These results are disturbing, but not entirely unforeseen," OTS Director Christopher J. Murphy said in a news release.
"Now that smartphones are becoming the majority, people are using them more often and in many more ways. This might be helpful in a lot of places, but definitely not behind the wheel."
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego also studied distracting driving behaviors and patterns among younger motorists.
They surveyed 5,000 college students between the ages of 18 and 29 throughout San Diego County.
78 percent of the people surveyed admitted to cell phone use while driving.
Fifty percent said that they send text messages from the freeway, sixty percent said they text while in stop-and-go traffic on side streets and eighty-seven percent openly admitted to texting while stuck at stoplights.
Frighteningly enough, 17.5 percent said that they had been involved in a motor vehicle accident due to cell phone use while driving.
Forty-six percent of the students felt that they were capable of using a cell phone and driving at the same time, but they only felt that 8.5 percent of other motorists could accomplish the same thing.
"What this new information tells us is that too many are still convinced that a crash will never happen to them," Murphy said.
"We have to turn that thinking around or we will see tragic increases in fatal and injury crashes."
Since 2008, using a cell phone in any capacity while driving has been outlawed.
A first offender receives a ticket for $159, while a second ticket will cost you about $279.
If you are in an accident, you need support. AA-Accident Attorneys provides their clients the expert legal help to win results. You can feel confident that the Los Angeles car accident lawyer who represent you know your concerns, and the issues you face with crowded roads, freeways, and highways that can lead to automobile accidents, motorcycle accidents, bus accidents, and truck accidents. The car accident lawyer knows these issues from the inside and out—as legal professionals and as citizens who share the road and live in the communities.
AA-Accident Attorneys serves clients in many locations across the United States, and has car accident lawyer to represent you in San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange County, San Fernando Valley, Ontario, Newport Beach, Los Angeles, Fresno, San Jose, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Las Vegas.
The study, conducted by members of the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), was released recently to promote the state's second annual Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
In the study, 130 intersections throughout California were targeted as traffic safety officials looked for evidence that drivers were using both hands-free and hand-held equipment as well as texting and other mobile device use while driving.
The findings were surprising; 11% of people on the road use cellphones at any time of day. This is a 7% increase from last year.
Although cell phone use while driving increased throughout all age groups, 16 to 25 year olds showed the most dramatic rise, going from just 9 percent last year to 18 percent this year.
"These results are disturbing, but not entirely unforeseen," OTS Director Christopher J. Murphy said in a news release.
"Now that smartphones are becoming the majority, people are using them more often and in many more ways. This might be helpful in a lot of places, but definitely not behind the wheel."
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego also studied distracting driving behaviors and patterns among younger motorists.
They surveyed 5,000 college students between the ages of 18 and 29 throughout San Diego County.
78 percent of the people surveyed admitted to cell phone use while driving.
Fifty percent said that they send text messages from the freeway, sixty percent said they text while in stop-and-go traffic on side streets and eighty-seven percent openly admitted to texting while stuck at stoplights.
Frighteningly enough, 17.5 percent said that they had been involved in a motor vehicle accident due to cell phone use while driving.
Forty-six percent of the students felt that they were capable of using a cell phone and driving at the same time, but they only felt that 8.5 percent of other motorists could accomplish the same thing.
"What this new information tells us is that too many are still convinced that a crash will never happen to them," Murphy said.
"We have to turn that thinking around or we will see tragic increases in fatal and injury crashes."
Since 2008, using a cell phone in any capacity while driving has been outlawed.
A first offender receives a ticket for $159, while a second ticket will cost you about $279.
If you are in an accident, you need support. AA-Accident Attorneys provides their clients the expert legal help to win results. You can feel confident that the Los Angeles car accident lawyer who represent you know your concerns, and the issues you face with crowded roads, freeways, and highways that can lead to automobile accidents, motorcycle accidents, bus accidents, and truck accidents. The car accident lawyer knows these issues from the inside and out—as legal professionals and as citizens who share the road and live in the communities.
AA-Accident Attorneys serves clients in many locations across the United States, and has car accident lawyer to represent you in San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange County, San Fernando Valley, Ontario, Newport Beach, Los Angeles, Fresno, San Jose, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Las Vegas.