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Cellphone Driving Dangers Include Social Media

Based on the results of several studies, Kentucky motorists who are aware of the dangers of texting and driving may still be engaging in other dangerously distracting activities using their phones. These include posting to social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram and playing games. It is believed that accidents in Maryland and California happened due to drivers playing Pokemon Go.

A survey by Students Against Destructive Decisions and Liberty Mutual Insurance found that in a survey of 2,500 people of high school age, almost 70 percent said they use apps while driving. A quarter recognized the danger of texting and driving while 29 percent said that driving under the influence of alcohol was the most dangerous activity. Only 6 percent said that using social media while driving was the most dangerous behavior.

The National Safety Council found that in a survey of 2,400 drivers in all age groups, almost 75 percent said they would use Facebook while driving and 33 percent they would use Instagram. YouTube and Twitter were also popular distractions at 35 percent and 37 percent respectively.

One issue with distracted driving is that after an accident, drivers may not want to admit that they were on the phone. Therefore, although the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration attributes about a quarter of car accidents to phone distractions, the number may be higher.

People who are injured in an accident because a driver was texting and driving or who was distracted in some other way might want to consult an attorney. They may not receive an adequate offer of compensation from the insurance company. One route might be filing a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault motorist.