New Jersey drivers may be interested to learn that based on the responses in a survey published in September 2015 in the Journal of Transport & Health, many adults are likely to use their cell phones while driving. Of the more than 700 adults in the San Diego area who responded to the survey, over three-quarters said they made hands-free calls while driving. Fewer than one-third were aware that hands-free cellphone use is considered as risky as drunk driving.
Over half of the drivers surveyed said they made handheld calls while driving, and about 30 percent said that they had texted while driving on the freeway. Almost 90 percent of the drivers were confident in their ability to drive safely while using a cellphone.
However, according to the U.S. National Safety Council, cellphones cause more than 25 percent of car crashes. Furthermore, an individual is eight times more likely to crash a vehicle if texting while driving and four times more likely to do so while using a hands-free cellphone.
Experts say that a sobering aspect of the study is that it indicates that dangerous use of cellphones while driving is not just confined to teen drivers. Furthermore, the problem appears to partly be a cultural one because people expect to remain in touch with family and employers even while driving.
Even though using a cellphone while driving is illegal in New Jersey, many motorists still do so, and an accident caused by a driver using an electronic device may lead to serious injuries. Individuals may face weeks, months or even years of recovery time, and the compensation offered by the responsible driver’s insurance company may not be sufficient to cover expenses. In such a case, an injured victim may wish to speak with an attorney about filing a civil suit.
