A survey was commissioned by CarInsurance.com to ask drivers how insurance companies should screen and price car insurance policies. The results showed that many drivers consider texting behind the wheel a serious concern. Distracted driving has drawn substantial scrutiny recently as it has been tied to a rise in fatal car accidents. While many people continue to engage in the behavior, motorists in general seem to consider it a serious problem. If you have been involved in a car accident, contact our Chicago car accident lawyers today for a free consultation.
The survey results may reflect the status of texting behind the wheel as the latest craze in safety advocacy. For example, nearly 73 percent of those surveyed believe that a driver who is caught texting while driving should pay more for car insurance than a person who speeds. Texting is a growing problem, but studies have shown that speeding is a factor in roughly 33 percent of all fatal car crashes.
More than half of the motorists surveyed suggested that cell phone tickets should lead to an insurance surcharge. Likewise, more than 50 percent believe that drivers who install devices to disable their cell phones while driving should be offered a discount. The survey results are not in line with current legislation, as the majority of states do not currently consider texting while driving a moving violation. That means that getting caught texting while driving is unlikely to result in an increase in your car insurance rates.
Texting and driving is dangerous. The survey indicates that a growing number of people acknowledge this fact. Unfortunately, this understanding has done little to curb the practice. The challenge for safety-conscious people is to find a way to convince people that texting and driving is as dangerous when they do it as when anyone else does it.
Source: MSN Money, “Survey: Put the hammer to texters,” 13 May 2013