Our safety message to citizens regarding the dangers of texting while driving — “Arrive Alive — Don’t Text and Drive.”

We at Erskine & McMahon LLP have become increasingly aware of what we consider an extremely dangerous trend — talking on cell phones while driving.  Each year, we handle hundreds of car wreck cases and in an ever growing number, cell phones play a dangerous part.  Our experience is confirmed by scientific studies (see article below).  In order to share our concern with the public, Erskine & McMahon has embarked upon a public safety campaign by placing safety warnings on the back window of City of Longview public transit buses.

We are dedicated to further educating the public and our clients about safety while driving.  If you have a story to share about the dangers of cell phone use while driving, please share with us.

Drivers on Cell Phones Are As Impaired As Drunks

A 2006 study by a University of Utah psychologist proves that motorists who talk on cell phones are as impaired as drunk drivers. The scientists found that people are as impaired when they drive and talk on a cell phone as they are when they drive intoxicated at the legal blood alcohol limit of 0.08%.

The 2006 study found that, compared with undistracted drivers, motorists who talk on cell phones drove slightly slower, were slower to hit the brakes, displayed more variation in following distance as their attention switched between driving and conversing, were slow to resume normal speed after braking, and were more likely to crash. The team of scientists concluded “impairments associated with using a cell phone while driving can be as profound as those associated with driving while drunk.”

Earlier research by the same psychologists have shown that hands-free cell phones are just as distracting as hand-held cell phones because the conversation itself – not just manipulation of a hand-held phone – distracts drivers from road conditions.

One statistical analysis of all the studies showed cell phone users were at least five times more likely to be involved in a wreck than were undistracted drivers. More than 100 million of US motorists use cell phones while driving, meaning that at any given moment during daylight hours, 8% of all drivers are talking on a cell phone. The main reason there are not more wrecks is that “92% of drivers are not on a cell phone and are compensating for drivers on cell phones,” notes the study’s author.

Reference: University of Utah June 29, 2006.

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