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How texting affects a driver’s abilities

Texting and deriving is a serious issue, but people keep doing it. Find out how exactly texting affects a driver’s abilities.

There are many ways drivers can be distracted while behind the wheel in Illinois. Any distraction is an issue because it can lead to an accident or dangerous driving. However, one of the biggest issues currently is texting. Drivers seem to ignore all the warning about how dangerous it is to text and drive. That is why there are still so many accidents contributed to drivers who are texting.

Reasons they do it

It is not completely clear why people still think it is fine to text and drive even though the implications are clear. According to Fox News, many people think they do a good job of driving safely and doing other things at the same time. This mistaken belief in themselves leads to people ignoring warnings about the dangers and continuing to do it.

Most of these drivers know and understand how risky it can be, but do not think such things apply to them. It is a similar mindset to drunk drivers who believe that while it is bad to drink and drive that they are personally okay to do it. The bottom line is people really overestimate their own abilities, which leads to accidents, personal injury lawsuits, vehicle damage and deaths.

A powerful addiction

The reason so many people are willing to risk their lives and the lives of everyone else on the road simply to send or read a text message while behind the wheel goes even beyond an overly confident attitude and is more eerily similar to drunk driving behaviors. The major link is addiction. Like a drunk driver, a texting driver is addicted to his or her phone and messaging. He or she simply cannot let it go until at a safe place. There is an addictive need to see the message or send a reply.

The risks

The reality is that texting while driving is a very dangerous activity that increases the likelihood of a car accident. Consumer Reports noted a study done to determine exactly how texting and using a smartphone affected drivers’ abilities. In this study, it was observed that participants often missed warnings on the road, such as a flashing yellow light, when distracted. They also had trouble maintaining a consistent speed and staying in the designated lane. Perhaps the most disturbing effect was reaction times were doubled.

There is really no doubt texting and driving is something nobody should ever do. It has already claimed many lives in Illinois and other states. If you find yourself involved in an accident with a distracted driver, you may want to get help from The Gori Law Firm