Smartphone Use by Drivers Causes Vehicle Accidents. We Don’t Know How Many
We can only guess how many vehicle accidents are caused by distracted drivers, whether they use smartphones or not. There’s indirect evidence it’s a serious problem, possibly injuring and killing thousands of people a year. If they wanted to and had the resources, law enforcement could get a clearer picture of smartphones’ role in causing accidents, but they don’t.
The Southern California car accident attorneys at Castillo & Associates represent clients injured in vehicle accidents so they can get the most compensation for their injuries. If you’re the victim of a severe accident, call us at 800-497-9774.
Why is Distracted Driving Dangerous?
Driving safely requires one’s full attention to understanding what’s going on around the vehicle and controlling it. Distraction puts a driver at a disadvantage:
- The driver’s attention is diverted away from the road and their vehicle. They’re less likely to notice hazards, traffic signals, pedestrians, or other vehicles, increasing the risk of accidents.
- When drivers are not fully focused on driving, their reaction time to unexpected events or hazards is significantly slowed. This delay can make it difficult to avoid collisions or respond appropriately to changing road conditions.
- Distracted driving can result in a loss of control over the vehicle. Even momentary distractions can cause drivers to unintentionally swerve or veer off the road or into other vehicles.
- Engaging in other activities while driving can impair decision-making, problem-solving, and spatial awareness. This can cause poor judgment and risky behaviors.
A driver allowing themselves to be distracted will fail their legal obligation to drive reasonably safely, potentially making them liable for a personal injury claim if they cause an accident and injuries.
What Evidence Is There That Smartphones Distract Drivers?
Anonymous surveys of drivers show wide smartphone use while behind the wheel. A 2022 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety survey reported that about 20 percent of drivers admitted to using smartphones regularly to access social media, read emails, and play games. Some state they watch, record and post videos to social media while driving. About half of the surveyed drivers stated their smartphones distracted them in some way in the month before taking the survey.
Why Don’t We Know More About Smartphone Use and Car Accidents?
You’d have difficulty inventing a better machine than a smartphone to rob someone of their privacy. They track what we write, where we go, how we get there, when, what we buy, and what topics interest us. But law enforcement rarely uses them to determine if a driver committed a crime or deserves a ticket if they’re involved in a vehicle accident.
It’s widely known that smartphone use while driving is dangerous. More than ten years after federal and state governments started acting against it, there are no definitive statistics or databases of crashes, injuries, or deaths caused by smartphone distraction.
Current estimates based on limited information, according to the New York Times, likely strongly understate a worsening issue:
- Vehicle accidents recorded by police increased 16% from 2020 to 2021. That’s 16,700 crashes daily from 14,400, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- In 2021, almost 43,000 Americans were killed in crashes, a 16-year high
- That year, only 377 fatal wrecks (less than one percent) were reported involving a driver distracted by a smartphone. But an estimated 8 percent of 2.5 million nonfatal accidents in 2021 involved a smartphone
These statistics are based on police reports mentioning smartphone use. They’re written by officers relying on statements of those involved and witnesses, if any. If a driver doesn’t admit to using a smartphone at the time of the crash there’s little chance that will make it into a report.
Can Smartphones Tell a Story the Driver Refuses to Tell?
Smartphones can show whether they were used before a car crash and, if so, how. An officer can ask a driver for their smartphone to look at this data. If the driver refuses, the officer can seek a search warrant if there’s probable cause a crime occurred. If they’re successful, costly data analysis is required after getting the phone. It must be carefully performed if a prosecutor wants to use it as evidence against a driver.
Smartphone forensics aren’t always needed to find critical information. Data from the driver’s carrier could show whether there was an active phone call before the accident and if the driver was sending and receiving text messages.
If we believe it could help establish liability in a client’s case, we will seek a defendant’s smartphone or their carrier’s records.
Following an Inland Empire Auto Accident, Protect Your Rights by Speaking to a Skilled Attorney
If you’re injured in a vehicle accident, you must act quickly and contact Castillo & Associates’ Inland Empire auto accident lawyers. California auto accident claims are subject to a strict statute of limitations. Missing this deadline can mean the end of your compensation claim. After we’re retained, we will thoroughly investigate your case, gather substantial evidence, and protect your right to full monetary compensation.
Castillo & Associates has more than three decades of legal experience, and we can take on the most challenging auto accident cases. Call us at 800-497-9774 today to speak with an experienced Inland Empire car accident lawyer.
Attorney Domingo Castillo handles workers’ compensation, personal injury, family law & immigration throughout Southern California from our 5 offices: Indio, Pomona, Riverside, San Diego & Cathedral City. We help clients file injury claims, obtain residency & citizenship, and we assist families through divorce, child custody and all family law matters.
