Cell Phone Crashes Climbing

Here’s another reason to keep your phone stashed in the glove box whenever you’re behind the wheel. Mobile phone-related incidents now account for 27 percent of all vehicle crashes, with 2014 being the third consecutive year of increases, according to data compiled by the National Safety Council in Itasca, Illinois. This includes the particularly perilous practice of text messaging while driving, which the Council found boosts a driver’s risk of becoming involved in a collision by at least eight times. What’s more, the above figure includes both hands-free and hands-on cell phone use, which means making or receiving call via a car’s Bluetooth interface is no safer than actually holding the unit to one’s head. “The incredible connectivity enabled by technology has resulted in a very dangerous environment behind the wheel,” says Deborah A.P. Hersman, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. “While the public understands the risks associated with distracted driving, the data shows the behavior continues.”