JUST RELEASED:  The United States has known since 2003 of the extreme risks of distracted driving, yet they failed to release these findings to the public!  The National Highway Traffic Safety Department withheld this critical information from Congress since 2003 in an effort to "not make Congress mad."  Ultimately those withheld findings determined that distracted driving is as dangerous as drunk driving!  Researchers have now published data that concludes in 2002 alone, over 955 fatalities and 240,000 serious personal injuries were caused on our nations highways by cellphone use when driving.  Cellphone use can include text messaging, emailing, and talking.  Keep in mind that these findings were way back in 2002!  It is estimated that there are 10 times and many cellphones in used today than in 2002.  So what does that mean about the highway death claims and injury claims?

Researchers have also determined that hands-free kits such as bluetooth and earbuds did little to eliminate the threat of death and injury on our roadways as a direct result of cellphone use.  Missouri motorists that are using their cellphone while operating a car or truck are 4X as likely to cause a serious car accident, truck accident, or motorcycle accident.  What is our government going to do about this?  Probably little if anything, partially due to lobbiests in Congress.  Many states have proposed bans on using cellphones while operating a motor vehicle, but the proposals have not converted into law.  Moreover, police have indicated a difficulty in enforcement of such a proposal. 

Missouri Accident and Injury Lawyer Stephen Schultz recommends that you put down the cellphone when behind the wheel.  Many of his injured clients have been seriously injury or lost loved ones to the inattention and distraction caused by using a cellphone.  Texting is particularly dangerous, as the driver is forced to concentrate on a phone's screen instead of the roadway, causing motorists to cross the centerline of traffic and a head-on car crash.