Distracted driving is a major cause of or contributing factor to car accidents. And while many believe that distracted driving is underreported, even the reported statistics are grim. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 3,450 distraction-related car accident deaths nationwide in 2016, about 14 percent of which involved cellphone use. Alabama is among the majority of states to ban texting while driving, but handheld use of a cellphone behind the wheel remains legal.
In many ways, distracted driving is like drunk driving. But safety advocates note that when a serious or fatal crash occurs, it is much easier to prove that a crash was alcohol related, and the at-fault driver is likely to face much harsher consequences. Should police be testing for cellphone use after a crash, and will that make distracted driving as socially unacceptable as drunk driving has become?
