What Every Driver Needs To Know in 2025
The Dangers of Using a Handheld Device While Driving—Statistics Tell the Story
Handheld devices are the most common cause of distracted driving accidents and citations. Though many who text or talk on the phone while driving insist that they “are good at it,” the statistics suggest otherwise:
- The National Safety Council reports that more than 6 million accidents per year involve some type of cell phone use while driving—that’s nearly two-thirds (64%) of all motor vehicle accidents
- More than 10 teens die every day in texting-while-driving accidents. In fact, individuals under the age of 20 are four times more likely to be involved in an accident caused by texting behind the wheel. One survey found that, while teens almost universally agree that texting while driving is dangerous (97%), nearly half (43%) do it anyway.
- A person who is texting while driving is about six times more likely to be involved in a crash than someone who is driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- The average text message takes about five seconds to type and transmit. Driving at 50 miles per hour, if you’re looking at your phone for that amount of time, you’ve driven the length of a football field with your eyes off the road
Other Types of Distractions for Drivers in Texas
While handheld devices are primarily responsible for the dramatic rise in distracted driving accidents, there are many other ways that drivers can lose their focus on the road:
- Averting their eyes to adjust the stereo or climate control
- Eating or drinking behind the wheel
- Grooming, such as applying makeup or fixing your hair while driving
- Focusing on other passengers, e.g., tending to children in the back seat or having a conversation with others that takes your eyes off the road
- Taking in a roadside attraction or distraction, such as a scenic vista or an accident
- Daydreaming, thinking about work or home, or focusing mentally on something other the road ahead
- Fatigue
Tips for Effectively Reducing Distracted Driving in Texas in 2025
Specific steps you can take to reduce the risk of causing a distracted-driving accident include:
- Turn off your cell phone when you get in the car—Humans lived for millennia without cell phones and drove motor vehicles for nearly a century without access to a cell phone. If you’re waiting on an important call, stop regularly and check your messages.
- Go hands-free—While this can still lead to distraction, at least you’ll have both hands on the wheel. Another good option is to have a passenger answer calls while you’re behind the wheel.
- Plan ahead, so that you’re not tempted to eat, drink, or groom while driving
- Adjust the stereo and climate control before you get on the road
- Stop to look at roadside attractions, if necessary
- Know exactly where you’re going and how you’re getting there before you leave, so there’s no need to take your eyes off the road to look at GPS or a map
Contact the Experienced DFW Car Accident Attorneys at Bailey & Galyen
At the law offices of Bailey & Galyen, we bring more than 40 years of positive results to people in the DFW Metroplex and across Texas who have suffered loss because of the carelessness of others, including individuals with distracted-driving injury claims. We have a thorough understanding of personal injury laws and procedures, and we know how to obtain and provide evidence to prove your case.
Over the past four decades, we have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for personal injury clients. We can help you pursue full and fair compensation when you’ve been hurt in an accident caused by a distracted driver. Contact us by e-mail or call our offices. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
