Multitasking While Driving Can Lead to Vermont and New Hampshire Car Accidents

Many people multitask, as they have busy lives and little time to get everything done. What about multitasking while driving, such as talking on the phone to catch up with friends? Is that a good idea? According to researchers and safety advocates, the answer is no.

There has been some concern about whether or not texting and talking on cell phones have increased the number of Vermont and New Hampshire car accidents. Studies have found that using a cell phone while driving can lower your brain activity associated with driving by 37 percent. It has also been concluded that 80 percent of all crashes involve some type of driver distraction. Texting has been identified as the most dangerous type of driver distraction today.

The Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association estimated that more than 276 million people had wireless phones as of June 2009. In 2008, more than 600 billion text messages were sent.

A large amount of drivers are using their cell phones while behind the wheel. All you have to do is look around you while you are parked at a red light or stop sign and you will see numerous drivers chatting or looking down to send a text message. Many drivers are also using their cell phones during risky times on the road. For example, in a survey of 1,219 drivers by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 42 percent of the respondents admitted to using cell phones when traffic was stop and go. Twenty-nine percent of the drivers surveyed said that they have talked on the phone on snowy or wet roads. What is alarming is that these percentages could actually be higher.

“People tend not to fess up to behavior that has a negative image, so drivers in our survey may have understated how often they talk on the phone,” said Anne McCartt, Institute senior vice president for research.

If you have been hurt in an auto accident in Vermont or New Hampshire, you need to contact an experienced Orford, New Hampshire personal injury attorney at the Law Office of Van Dorn & Curtiss at (877) 611-9622 for a free consultation.

We represent car accident cases in Western New Hampshire and Eastern Vermont, including the counties of Essex, Caledonia, Orange, Windsor, Windham, Coos, Grafton, Sullivan, Cheshire, and Merrimack.