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Are teenagers responsible for most texting-related crashes?

On Behalf of | Apr 4, 2018 | Car Accidents |

When you think of texting and driving accidents, you likely think of teens. You assume that since most teens hate to be separated from their cellphones, they would be most at fault for such crashes.

While that may seem somewhat logical, recent studies show a different result.

The ban on texting

The good news is that in states where texting while driving is banned, there was a seven percent dip in hospitalizations for texting-related car crash injuries between 2003 and 2010. That factoid emerged from a study on the topic of texting while driving, which was conducted at Texas A&M School of Public Health. While other issues such as speeding or drunk driving factor in, state bans on texting were still associated with the decline.

The Kentucky laws

A personal injury attorney will tell you that in the state of Kentucky, it is unlawful for any driver, of any age, to use a cellphone to send, receive or read a text message while the vehicle is in motion. The same goes for email and instant messages. However, there are some exceptions to the law. For example, a driver can use the GPS feature on a cellphone, and the device can also be used in an emergency to summon law enforcement, get medical help or report illegal activity.

Older but not wiser

The Texas A&M study turned up an interesting statistic: While teens are definitely guilty of texting while driving, older drivers constantly check their emails and messages. In fact, the biggest offenders are members of the 25 to 40 age group. However, the study found that there was a nine percent reduction in the number of hospitalizations for texting-related crash victims in the 22-and-older age group.

A reminder

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that nine people are killed daily across the U.S. by distracted drivers, many of whom were texting when the crash occurred. Some are teenagers, but many are older. Even a minor car crash can result in surprisingly serious injuries, the repercussions of which could last a lifetime.