• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that in 2010 driver distraction was the cause of 18 percent of all fatal crashes – with 3,092 people killed – and crashes resulting in an injury – with 416,000 people wounded.
• Forty percent of all American teens say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put people in danger, according to a Pew survey.

• The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted.
• Eleven percent of drivers aged 18 to 20 who were involved in an automobile accident and survived admitted they were sending or receiving texts when they crashed.

The minimal amount of time your attention is taken away from the road when you are texting and driving is 5 seconds.

At any given time during daylight hours, 660,000 drivers in the United States use cell phones. Whether it’s texting, taking a phone call, or sending emails, cell phone use is associated with higher rates of dangerous or fatal car crashes. Accidents involving drivers using their cell phones are avoidable but many people put everyone’s safety at risk by ignoring laws against distracted driving.

Turn off your cell phone.

OR

Put it on silent.

OR

Put it away.

• Ban on all cell phone use (handheld and hands-free) for novice drivers (Primary law)
• In Michigan, teens with probationary licenses whose cell phone usage contributes to a traffic or crash or ticket may not use a cell phone while driving
• Ban on texting for all drivers (Primary law)

Works Cited

"Distracted Driving | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | Texting and Driving." Distracted Driving | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | Texting and Driving. U.S Department of Transportation, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.
"Distracted Driving | State Laws | Texting and Driving." Distracted Driving | State Laws | Texting and Driving. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.
"Texting and Driving Statistics." Texting and Driving Statistics. N.p., June 2012. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.
"The Dangers of Texting While Driving." Home. Federal Communications Commission, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.
"5 Ways To Prevent Texting And Driving." Do Something. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.