Cell phones and texting cause most road accidents

by Steven Mostyn - Jul 11 2011, 11:04

New research offered up by non-profit organisation the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) has revealed that mobile device use while behind the steering wheel is responsible for a great number of accidents on U.S. roads.

With the seriousness of such incidents ranging from light injury through to fatality, the report said cell phones and other mobile electronic devices account for up to 25 percent of all vehicular crashes.

Although conventional cell phone use is singled out for elevating associated risks, GHSA’s research claims that text messaging is much more dangerous when it comes to continually drawing a driver’s eyes from the road.

“Despite all that has been written about driver distraction, there is still a lot that we do not know,” commented GHSA executive director Barbara Harsha. “Clearly, more studies need to be done addressing both the scope of the problem and how to effectively address it.”

In terms of implementing action to help reduce risks for every road user, the report recommends that all U.S. states ban in-car cell phone texting and better enforce existing laws that only permit hands-free cell phone use.

“While distracted driving is an emotional issue that raises the ire of many on the road, states must take a research-based approach to addressing the problem,” added Harsha. “Until more research is conducted, states need to proceed thoughtfully, methodically, and objectively.”

The GHSA study collated its results by scrutinising more than 350 related scientific papers published since the turn of the millennium.

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