Study: Distracted Driving Is Probably Underreported

On behalf of Lovett Law Firm posted in Car Accidents on Friday, May 17, 2013.

Most of our readers are probably already aware that distracted driving is a serious problem in the United States. It is a problem that every state has addressed in some way, some states going as far as banning the use of all cell phones by drivers.

According to a recent analysis of state and federal crash data, deaths resulting from distracted driving involving cell phones are underreported, making the problem appear to be less significant than it actually is.

The advocacy group that conducted the study found that even when drivers admitted to authorities they were using a cell phone during an accident in which someone died, roughly half of the cases were not recorded as involving a cell phone. In 2011, only half of the crashes examined were coded as involving use of cell phone. Overall, there were more than 32,000 deaths that year, but only 385 are listed as involving phones.

These numbers, of course, depend on what information police gather at the scene of an accident. One reason cell phone use may be underreported is that officers may have no reason to investigate the possibility unless a driver, passenger or witness tells them a phone was being used. And then there is the reality that drivers are often reluctant to admit the behavior, as well as a lack of witnesses, and the death of the driver.

Distracted driving is serious business, and can have fatal consequences for those involved in such crashes. Those who have suffered at the hands of a distracted driver have the right to seek compensation.

Source: Source: El Paso Inc., “Study: Distracted driving deaths underreported,” May 7, 2013.