| Inglewood,CA Auto Accident Lawyer Peter | | | | use of hand-held phones. Far more states have |
| Steinberg Frequently Asked Questions About | | | | outlawed texting while driving, and many others |
| Distracted Driving Q: What exactly is distracted | | | | are considering it. Congress is considering a law |
| driving? A: Distracted driving is driving while your | | | | that would require states to pass a texting ban |
| mind, eyes or hands are doing something else. | | | | before they are eligible for federal highway |
| Nearly any activity that does this could be | | | | funding. And the Secretary of Transportation has |
| considered distracted driving. But some of the | | | | made distracted driving a central safety issue. Q: |
| most common distractions reported by safety | | | | Is it safer to use a hands-free cell phone? A: |
| officials include cell phones and other devices, | | | | Research suggests that it is not. While hands-free |
| eating, personal grooming, rubbernecking, reaching | | | | devices do help drivers keep their eyes on the |
| for something and interacting with passengers. All | | | | road, talking on the phone can still cause a mental |
| of these raise the risk of a crash by taking the | | | | distraction. A 2001 University of Utah study found |
| driverâs attention away from the road. Q: Why | | | | that drivers using a cell phone missed twice as |
| is distracted driving becoming an issue? A: | | | | many traffic lights as drivers without a phone. |
| Distracted driving has gained attention recently | | | | That was true regardless of whether they were |
| because more and more studies are showing that | | | | using a hands-free device. The study concluded |
| itâs a serious threat. For example, a 2006 study | | | | that phone conversations distract drivers in ways |
| showed that the risk of a crash doubles when | | | | that passive listening does not. Q: Do the police |
| drivers take their eyes off the road for longer | | | | take distracted driving seriously? A: More and |
| than one second. Safety experts have always | | | | more, yes. Laws in many states allow police |
| believed that most accidents are caused by | | | | officers to pull over drivers they see violating a |
| human error. But now, distractions have increased | | | | ban on texting or hand-held phone use. Other |
| because we are able to take more and more | | | | states allow law enforcement to make a note of |
| technology into our cars, and because many | | | | whether a driver was using the phone at the time |
| people are trying to squeeze more into their days. | | | | of an accident. Most likely, police will assign the |
| Q: Is it legal to drive while using a cell phone? A: It | | | | blame for a crash on a driver distracted by a |
| depends on where you live, but more and more, | | | | phone or other device. And all states have laws |
| the answer is no. No state has banned cell phone | | | | against reckless driving, which can be used in |
| use entirely, but a handful of states have banned | | | | situations where distractions pose a clear risk. |