Distracted Driving in Ventura, California – Why is Using a Cell Phone More Dangerous than Talking, or Listening to Music While Driving?

While most Ventura drivers know by now that driving while using a cell phone is incredibly dangerous and can lead to serious and even fatal car accidents, they may not quite understand why talking on a cell phone is more dangerous than other tasks in the car, such as talking to a passenger or listening to music. Indeed, without quite knowing why there is an elevated risk to life and limb associated with using a cell phone while driving, some Ventura drivers may be tempted to skirt the laws (and common sense) and pick up the phone to take a call or check a text message. However, there is a real difference between using a cell phone while driving and doing other tasks such as talking to passengers and listening to music. But why exactly is using a cell phone while driving associated with a higher risk of accidents? And what can Ventura distracted driving car accident victims do to get justice against the distracted drivers that injure them? We answer those questions here.

Cell Phone Use vs. Other Tasks in Ventura Distracted Driving Cases

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), there are several reasons that using a cell phone while driving is associated with a greater risk of getting into a serious car accident. For one, the NSC states that, “[d]rivers talking on cell phones make more driving errors than drivers talking with passengers do,” and “[d]rivers on cell phones are more likely to drift out of lanes and miss exits than drivers talking with passengers.” In addition, the NSC adds that, “[t]he social expectation is higher for returning a text or speaking to someone on the phone because the person on the other end does not see a challenging driving environment and suppress conversation in response the way a passenger does.” Finally, when it comes to listening to music, the NSC states that, “[l]istening to music or even talking with passengers may still be distracting. Loud music can prevent drivers from hearing emergency sirens, and cognitive processing can lead to a decline in vehicle control,” however, “[l]istening to music did not result in slower response time in simulator studies. But when the same drivers talked on cell phones, they did have a slower response time. Voice communication influenced the allocation of visual attention, while low- and moderate-volume music did not.” Indeed, it is clear from the NSC’s findings that using a cell phone while driving is just a plain bad idea and is riskier than just talking in the car or listening to music.

Getting Legal Help for Your Distracted Driving Injuries in Ventura – Ventura Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer

If you are in the Ventura area and you need legal help with your distracted driving car accident case, contact the experienced Ventura distracted driving car accident lawyers at Zavala Law, PC. The experienced Ventura distracted driving accident lawyers at Zavala Law, PC are here to help victims of serious car accidents get justice against the distracted drivers that injure them. Contact Zavala Law, PC today and speak to a lawyer about your case now.

Source:

cmscdn.nsc.org/cms/nsc.org/media/site-media/docs/safe-driving/reports/understanding-driver-distraction.pdf