DeVaughn James Injury Lawyers
  • Home
    • DeVaughn James – East Wichita
    • DeVaughn James – West Wichita
    • DeVaughn James – Topeka
  • Practice Areas
    • Car Accidents
    • Trucking Accident
    • Motorcycle Accidents
    • Slip and Fall Injuries
    • Commercial Vehicle Accident
    • Brain Injuries
    • Dog Bite
    • Drunk Driving
    • Product Injuries
    • Nursing Home Injuries
    • Roundup Cancer Lawsuit
    • Workers Compensation
    • Wrongful Death
    • Bad Drugs & Harmful Products
    • Prescription Drug Injuries
  • About Our Firm
    • Locations
      • DeVaughn James Injury Lawyers – East Wichita
      • DeVaughn James Injury Lawyers – West Wichita
      • DeVaughn James Injury Lawyers – Topeka
    • DJ Giveaways
      • $2500 Charity Giveaway
      • Think Before U Drink
      • DJ Birthday Bash
    • Community Service
      • DJ WINS for Kansas
      • Helping Hand Grants
      • Pay it Forward
      • Veteran Salute – Topeka
      • Veteran Salute – Wichita
      • In The Community
    • Join Our Team
    • DeVaughn James Newsletter
    • FAQ’s
    • What Our Clients Say
    • Our Results
    • Tour Our Offices Online
  • Attorneys
    • Dustin L. DeVaughn
    • Richard W. James
    • Cody G. Claassen
    • Shawn P. Aldrich
    • Joseph Behzadi
    • Jessica A. Brunken
    • Joseph Bryden
    • Nick French
    • Andrew T. Geren
    • Garrett Heath
    • Tymber W. Long
    • Tim Love
    • Brendan P. Lykins
    • Andy Massey
    • Claire Melero
    • Scott Nading
    • Heather A. Nizzio
    • Chris Omlid
    • Mackenzie Orchard
    • Dakota Persinger
    • Arthur E. Rhodes
    • Lance Smith
    • Corey Sucher
    • Patrick Turner
    • Luke J. Williams
    • Jeff Wilson
  • Blog
  • Contact
    • East Wichita Office
    • West Wichita Office
    • Topeka Office
    • Attorney Referral
316-888-8888
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Car Accidents
  • 1 in 4 Car Collisions Involves Cell Phone Use

1 in 4 Car Collisions Involves Cell Phone Use

1 in 4 Car Collisions Involves Cell Phone Use

by admin / Sunday, January 13, 2019 / Published in Car Accidents, Personal Injury

Cell phone usage while driving leads to over 1.5 million crashes in the US, every year, according to statistics. Nearly 350,000 people are injured in such collisions, accounting for approximately 25% of all collisions across the country. In fact, cell phones are often referred to as the new killer on American roads as motorists are six times more likely to cause an accident while talking or texting on the cell phone than if they were driving drunk.

 

Cell phone being used while driving

 

It’s not just texting or internet usage through a cell phone that keeps motorists distracted and likely to cause a crash. In more than 21% of motor vehicle collision cases, people are having a conversation when they end up in an accident, and many of them are using wireless devices for their discussion. According to one study, more than 50 minutes of conversation on the cell phone while driving can increase your risk of getting into a collision by 5 times.

 

What makes driving and cell phone usage such a deadly combination?

  • • Regardless of your driving experience and familiarity with the route, you must devote your full attention to the road and your surroundings while manning a vehicle. Unfortunately, when the focus shifts from the windshield to the phone screen, there is a drastic reduction in the time and focus spent on visually scanning the road ahead.
  •  

  • • Call for police assistance at the scene of the collision, particularly if the crash involves a ride-sharing driver. It is crucial to have the incident investigated by an impartial party.
  •  

  • • With your eyes fixated on a phone, you are more likely to weave through lanes and drive through stop lights, not even noticing the risks you are taking.
  •  

  • • Most of these dangerous maneuvers are carried out with just one hand on the steering wheel since the other is devoted to cell phone usage.
  •  

  • • The text conversation itself is a huge distraction. Cognitive bandwidth is a finite resource, which means that the more of it you invest in your chatter the less you will have available for the act of driving, regardless of whether you are using a hand-held or hands-free device.
  •  

  • • A study done at Carnegie Mellon University proved that when spatial processing competes with auditory processing, the latter emerges as a clear winner, commanding the majority of the cognitive resources.
  •  

  • • To take away further from the already plunging attention levels of the motorist, the speaker on the other side of a cell phone does not have shared access to the visual cues of the road. Thus, when a motorist instinctively stops talking in reaction to an occurrence on the road, the remote speaker presses on, increasing communication to fill the void. In contrast, a passenger in the same vehicle may realize the potential danger of the situation and sensibly quite down.

 

 

Pedestrians

The hazards of cell phone usage, when on the road, are certainly not limited to motorists. A number of viral videos exist that show pedestrians taking a tumble while engrossed in their phones.

 

The one thing that these clips clearly prove is the extent to which cell phone usage impacts the focus of the user on his/her surroundings. Pedestrians often end up in the middle of the road with absolutely no awareness of the vehicles around them.

 

Of all the cell phone activities that pedestrians indulge in, playing games seems to be the most distracting, and one that leeches away the maximum amount of on-road focus.

 

Using your cell phone when driving or walking is simply not worth it.

Kansas is a comparative fault state. This means that the fault for a collision will be shared by both parties if proven that they both contributed to the mishap. Pedestrians are the hardest hit when it comes to motor vehicle collisions. The cost of treatment and rehabilitation can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars. If it can be proven that the pedestrians use of a cell phone contributed to the collision, the victim may end up with drastically reduced compensation.

 

For drivers, a mere citation for using a hand-held phone while driving can send insurance costs sky rocketing. In case of a collision, the “at fault” party may also end up facing criminal charges.

 

In 2015, nearly 4,000 people were killed in collisions caused by distracted driving, while another 400,000 were gravely injured. It is imperative to put down your cell phone and keep your eyes on the road. Don’t become a part of those statistics.

 

If you were injured in a collision that involved cell phone distractions, contact DeVaughn James Injury Lawyers and we will fight to get you the medical treatment and compensation you deserve.

Tagged under: Car Accidents, Cell Phone use, Distracted Driving, personal injury

What you can read next

Kansas man with neck injury after car accident.
Do I Need an Attorney after My Kansas Car Crash?
Semi-truck and car collision on Kansas roadway
Motorists’ Rights After a Trucking Accident in Topeka, Kansas
Car driving on Kansas winter road in snowy conditions.
Winter Driving Tips for Kansas Residents or Travelers

Recent Blog Posts

  • Topeka Motorcycle rider on Kansas roadway.

    Motorcycle Awareness Month

    May is Motorcycle Awareness Month, instituted b...
  • Damaged car in downtown Kansas City street due to an accident.

    Kansas and Missouri Have Very Different Car Accident Laws

    Car accidents can have devastating effects on p...
  • Image of the Missouri state flag and the Kansas state flag

    Car Insurance Requirements Kansas and Missouri

    Car insurance is an essential requirement for d...
  • Passenger in sedan distracting driver

    Can Passengers be Liable for Causing a Car Accident?

    Passengers in a vehicle can be a significant di...
  • Snowy and slushy Kansas parking lot.

    Slip and Fall Accident in Kansas Parking Lot

    Slip and falls are a common occurrence in publi...

Archives

Categories

  • Bicycle Accident
  • Car Accidents
  • Class Action
  • Commercial Vehicle Accidents
  • Community Service
  • Dog Bites
  • Firm News
  • Kansas Auto Insurance
  • Law
  • Missouri Auto Insurance
  • Motorcycle Accidents
  • Nursing Home Abuse
  • Personal Injury
  • Safety Tips
  • Slip & Fall Accidents
  • Trucking Accidents
  • Uncategorized
  • Veterans
  • Wrongful Death

ABOUT US

DeVaughn James Injury Lawyers is the largest personal injury law firm in Kansas. We have offices in Wichita and Topeka where we focus on personal injury cases, such as car accidents, semi-truck accidents, and wrongful death. Every day we help Kansans, just like you, who have suffered an injury through no fault of their own.

*No Fee Guarantee represents a contingent fee contract, the payment of an attorney fee is contingent on a recovery.

CONTACT US

316-888-8888
316-977-9999
785-888-8888
620-888-8888

*Prior results do not guarantee outcomes in future cases as each case is individually based upon the personal injuries of the clients.

24/7 LIVE CHAT AVAILABLE

24/7 Live Chat Service

*Offices located in Wichita & Topeka, Kansas. Proudly serving all of Kansas! DeVaughn James - East | DeVaughn James - West | DeVaughn James - Topeka

  • Home
  • Contact
  • Attorney Referral
  • DJ Newsletters
  • Join Our Team
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap

© 2023 DeVaughn James Injury Lawyers. All Rights Reserved.

TOP Cleantalk Pixel