Report: Gadgets Linked To 25 Percent Of Car Accidents
We’ve said it before and we’re going to say it now: hand-held gadgets and driving just don’t mix. And there’s a new study to back us up on this – according to a report by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), texting, talking on a cell phone and other distractions caused by electronic gadgets cause up to 25 percent of car crashes.
The GHSA, a nonprofit group that works to improve traffic safety, reports that drivers are distracted about half the time they’re driving. And it’s no surprise that using a cellphone is the culprit behind many car accidents.
Although the information isn’t new to us, the report goes one step further to question the effectiveness of handheld cellphone and texting bans. And here’s where it starts to get juicy – it states that there’s no conclusive evidence that talking using a Bluetooth headset or other hands-free method is any safer than talking with a phone in your hand. Not only that, but the GHSA reports that the texting bans are difficult to enforce.
So what’s the solution? For starters, the GHSA thinks that the government should completely ban new drivers from using a cell phone while driving and that all drivers be banned from texting. It’s interesting to note that an earlier study by GHSA stated it did not support a total ban of in-car phone usage and texting bans.
What do you think of the report? Do you think that all drivers should be banned from texting and new drivers be banned from using a mobile phone? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
[Source: Kicking Tires]
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