By now, most Kansas City residents have probably been warned in some way that distracted driving, particularly texting and driving, is a very dangerous behavior. There are many ongoing public awareness campaigns that caution drivers not to try to use their phones while driving.
When those warnings do not do the trick, Missouri and Kansas law enforcement officers are able to issue citations to drivers they observe texting and driving.
However, according to a recent study, across the United States, in every city studied, the rate of distracted driving continues to increase. The study concluded that, thus far in 2019, motorists are 10 percent more likely to be driving distracted. The study examined the driving habits of 1.8 million drivers and analyzed their driving behavior over billions of miles.
While distractions can come from any number of sources, smartphones still seem to be a major problem. By way of example, the study found that what the authors described as phone addicts were, over 25 percent of the time, not paying attention to the road in front of them. The study defined phone addicts as those motorists who were willing to use their phone for over 10 percent of their total time behind the wheel.
It is unfortunate that so many people seems to be ignoring the warnings against distracted driving, as well as the laws in place that prohibit this dangerous habit. By now, it has been well-established that distracted driving can lead to serious auto accidents which can leave victims severely injured. Those who do get hurt at the hands of a distracted driver may have the legal option of pursuing compensation.
