Distracted driving has become one of the most insidious and deadly threats to highways across the country. While the behavior that causes distracted driving occurs throughout all ages and demographics, young drivers are among those hit the hardest. For that reason, Tennessee state officials and community members are joining forces with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) and the National Ad Council to raise awareness regarding the deadly hazards of distraction behind the wheel.
According to recent data by the National Ad Council, distracted driving is the number one killer of teens in the U.S. As part of a national survey, the agency reported that in regards to texting while driving, 82 percent of young adults (ages 16 to 24 years old) acknowledged reading a text while behind the wheel, while 75 percent admitted to sending a text. Forty-nine percent of those teenagers surveyed said they had engaged in the activity numerous times.
Data from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) shows that a driver who is texting is twenty-three times more probable to be involved in a dangerous accident than a driver who is not texting. Out of all the drivers under 20 years old who were involved in deadly accidents across the nation, evidence suggests that 16 percent of them were linked to distracted behavior. Hopefully, the collaborative government initiative raises awareness and prevention on the problem because until drivers of all ages recognize the deadly dangers of driver distraction, we will continue to see increasing amounts of tragic and unnecessary highway injuries and fatalities as a result. Have you been injured in a Chattanooga accident that you believe was caused by another person’s distracted driving? Call the distracted driving attorneys in Chattanooga with Massey & Associates, P.C. at (423) 396-0720 today for a complimentary case review.
Gary Massey, Jr., is a well-known courtroom advocate practicing law in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Gary is a native of Tennessee who began practicing law in 1998. He graduated from Cumberland School of Law where he was ranked in the top 3% of his class and was an editor of the Cumberland Law Review.
