Personal Injury Lawyer Explains Why Handheld Devices Are So Dangerous When Driving

Riverside County California has some of the most beautiful and scenic countryside in the nation. Sadly, though, it was also the location for 220 fatal car accidents and another 8,561 injury accidents for the year 2008 according to the California Highway Patrol. While vehicle accidents can happen for reasons that include driver error, mechanical defects and roadway hazards, one accident cause that Riverside County personal injury attorney Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates sees frequently in his practice is the use of handheld devices while driving.

We All Do It

If most of us are honest, we talk on cell phones while driving. Despite that fact that California has banned the use of handheld devices while driving, many people still use them. Even if you are not talking on a handheld device, the simple act of having a conversation while driving is distracting in and of itself - even if held using a hands-free device. Studies show us that as much as 80% of the population admits to carrying on telephone conversations while driving. Not surprisingly, those same studies show us that as much as 25% of all accidents list cell phone usage as a contributing factor. According to Riverside County personal injury lawyer Emery Ledger, as many as 2600 people die each year as a result of accidents caused by cell phone use. In additional to those fatal accidents, another 330,000 are injured.

Texting is Far More Dangerous

The risk of being involved in an accident climbs even higher when you are texting on a cell phone, not talking. Anything that takes our eyes off the road and causes a distraction can be the precipitating factor in an accident. While talking on the phone can be distracting, texting clearly takes our eyes off the road. One study showed that for a driver that was sending or receiving a text message, in a six second period, four of those seconds were spent with their eyes off the road. Given the fact that the time frame to recognize and respond to changing road conditions is about two seconds, it is not hard to see why texting can be so dangerous. Distracted driving is by far the most common reason given for accident causes. The use of handheld devices is also the biggest sub-category within distracted driving. While teenagers are particularly vulnerable to the dangers of using handheld devices while driving, older more experienced drivers are hardly immune says Riverside County personal injury lawyer Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates.

If you have been involved in a car accident and you believe that the use of a handheld device was wholly or partially to blame, then seek the advice of an experienced Riverside County personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. If you would like an experienced Riverside County personal injury lawyer to evaluate your case and advise you as to what legal options you may have, please contact Riverside personal injury lawyer Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates at 1-800-300-0001 or contact him through his website at Ledger Law.

Read more about California Auto Accident and Personal injury law on the Personal Injury Lawyer Blog.

From the author: Personal Injury Attorneys | Top Law Firm

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