Most Drivers Use Cellphones While Driving, Says Study

An overwhelming 90 percent of U.S. drivers admit to using smartphones behind the wheel, despite laws banning the practice in many states.

A new study by Zendrive found that drivers spend 3.5 minutes of every hour using a cellphone. This is especially concerning given that a distraction of just two seconds increases the likelihood of an automobile accident by 20 times. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident because of a distracted driver contact one of our New Jersey auto accident attorneys today for a free consultation.

Driver Cellphone Use Study

Zendrive, an analytics company focusing on drivers, evaluated distracted driving behavior by studying the driving habits of 3.1 million drivers from December 2016 to February 2017.

Participants took 570 million trips spanning more than 5.6 billion miles during the study period. In 88 out of 100 trips, drivers used their cellphones.

Distracted Driving By State

The study’s findings ranked New Jersey as 45th out of 50 states plus the District of Columbia as one of the most distracted states. This is despite the fact that using a handheld device while driving is illegal in the state.

Vermont came in 50th as the most distracted state, even though it too prohibits drivers from using handheld cellphones behind the wheel. Next came Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas and Oklahoma – these states do not have driver cellphone bans in place.

Distracted Driving Laws

Currently, 14 states prohibit the use of handheld devices among drivers. Forty-six states prohibit texting while driving.

Despite laws aimed at curbing distracted driving, the Governors Highway Safety Association says drivers are aware of the laws and know they should not be using cellphones while driving – yet they do it anyway.

April Distracted Driving Crackdown

To promote safer driving across the state, New Jersey law enforcement agencies are targeting drivers using cellphones behind the wheel this month for National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The “U Drive. U Text. U Pay” campaign cracks down on distracted drivers and aims to inform motorists of the enhanced tools available for reporting dangerous driving.

New Jersey motorists and pedestrians can dial #77 to report unsafe driving, including drivers using cellphones. Reports of distracted driving are forwarded to the appropriate local law enforcement agency for possible investigation and citation.

For reports including license plate numbers, a letter will be sent to the vehicle’s owner, describing the incident – New Jersey’s Attorney General hopes this contact will act as a deterrent, opening up communication regarding distracted driving between parents and young drivers, and promote better future driving habits.

Distracted drivers cause thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of injuries each year. If you have been harmed by a distracted driver, a personal injury lawyer from the Lynch Law Firm, PC will fight to secure the maximized compensation you deserve for the injuries their negligence caused.

Call (800) 518-0508  today for a free, no-obligation legal consultation.