As California car accident attorneys, we know that distracted drivers cause car accidents. Talking on the cell phone, texting or even eating while driving can be extremely dangerous. Distracted drivers can end up injuring themselves and/or others in the process. Now a new study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute shows texting while driving increases the risk of a car crash by 23 percent.

The institute performed the study apparently by using cameras to continuously observe light vehicle drivers and truckers for more than 6 million miles. It found that when drivers of heavy trucks and big rigs texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting. Dialing a cell phone and using or reaching for an electronic device also increased risk of collision about six times in cars and trucks.

Distractions Cause Car Accidents

There are several interesting facts that come out of this study – facts every driver should be paying attention to. The study also finds that right before a car crash or near collision, drivers spent nearly five seconds looking at their devices, which is enough time at 55 mph to cover more than the length of a football field. The institute recommends that texting should be banned for all drivers and that all cell phone use should be prohibited for newly licensed drivers.

Fourteen states, including California, do ban texting while driving. The study also concludes that hands-free devices are not substantially safer than hand-held devices because the primary risks associated with both involve answering, dialing and other tasks that force the driver to take his or her eyes off the road.

Texting-Related Train Accidents

Nationwide, texting has caused catastrophic car accidents not only on our roadways, but on the railroad as well. Last September, a Los Angeles Metrolink train accident in Chatsworth, California, killed 25 people and injured more than 100. In that crash, the train's engineer, who also died in the accident, was believed to have been texting seconds before the collision. He had missed the red signal and drove the train right through it. In Boston, a trolley driver rear-ended another trolley while texting. That accident sent 49 people to the hospital.

If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a distracted driver who was texting or talking on the cell phone, please contact an experienced California personal injury lawyer who will provide more information about your legal rights and options. If the negligent driver was on the job at the time of the accident, his or her employer can also be held liable for the accident and injuries.