Don’t Talk and Drive: Car Accidents And Cell Phones Go Hand-In-Hand

Talking on your cell phone while driving could lead you straight to jail. According to a bill proposed in Ohio, a driver involved in a fatal car crash while talking on the cell phone would be considered a felon, guilty of aggravated vehicular assault or aggravated vehicular homicide.

Sounds harsh? Well… local governments are getting pretty serious about safety on the road.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), at any given moment there may be up to 974,000 drivers talking on their phones. In fact, an estimated 60% of all cell phone use happens while driving. Research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) also reveals that drivers using cell phones are four times more likely to be in a car accident.

Talking on your cell phone while driving diverts your attention and slows your response time. The IIHS has more than 125 studies that prove there are safety consequences to this type of distracted behavior, and drivers age 16 to 24 are the most frequent offenders.

Another investigation, published by the National Safety Council, estimates that cell phones distract you twice as much as listening attentively to the radio while driving.

Ohio is the latest of many states and communities that are gradually adopting bans, restrictions, fines and penalties. New York started the trend, then came Connecticut, New Jersey and Detroit, Michigan.

Although restrictions refer mostly to hand-held phones, researchers believe talking on any kind of phone, speaker or hands-free, distracts you enough to cause an accident.

For more information, read NHTSA’s frequently asked questions.

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