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Is texting and driving as dangerous as drunk driving?

Posted on March 20, 2015

As for whether texting while driving is as dangerous as drunk driving, the answer is, yes. In fact, texting and driving is six times more dangerous according to some estimates issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The NHTSA says that texting and driving takes a driver’s eyes off the road for about 4.5 seconds at a time. That is like driving the distance of a football field on a road with traffic and other obstacles while blindfolded.

The Harvard Center for Risk Analysis says that a total of 3,000 deaths are blamed on texting while driving each year. In addition, 330,000 injuries are blamed on texting and driving.

Both teenagers and adults alike admit to texting while driving, and since so many people text message these days, the activity has replaced drunk driving in prevalence. This is not good news when you consider that drivers who are active texters have a 23 times higher likelihood of getting into a car accident.

It is certainly cause for celebration that alcohol-related car accidents have dropped to historic lows by falling a full 52 percent since 1982. However, it is both startling and worrisome that non-alcohol related accidents have increased by 78 percent over the exact same period of time.

United States and Colorado residents who are accused of DUI in an accident could also be accused of texting while driving at the same time, and this will require an especially detailed and careful approach to a driver’s defense. Indeed, just like being convicted of a DUI during an accident, being convicted of unlawful distracted driving can also send a driver to jail and suffer other severe consequences.

Source: potsdam.edu, “Driving while Texting Six Times More Dangerous than Driving while Drunk” accessed Mar. 20, 2015

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