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Top Distractions for Drivers: Cell Phone Use Skyrocketing

What are the top ten driver distractions in the U.S.? According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), a branch of the federal government, the top ten distractions include moving objects in the car, smoking, cell phones, eating and drinking, vehicle controls, and other objects in the vehicle. This research is based on NHTSA Crashworthiness Data System (CDS) reports from 1995-1999.

As compiled by the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, the top distractions are:
  1. Things outside of the car-29.4 percent
  2. Distractions other than those listed-25.6 percent
  3. Adjusting the radio, CD player, etc. while driving-11.4 percent
  4. Other occupants-10.9 percent
  5. Unknown distractions-8.6 percent
  6. Objects moving inside the car-4.3 percent
  7. Other objects in car-2.9 percent
  8. Vehicle controls-2.8 percent
  9. Drinking or eating-1.7 percent
  10. Mobile phones-1.5 percent
These numbers may seem a bit outdated, as driver reliance on cell phones and other electronic tools has skyrocketed in the last 15 years. According to the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA), the wireless industry trade association, in June 2009 there were 276.6 million U.S. wireless subscribers. This number is significant when compared to the 97 million subscribers in June 2000. The cell phone problem has grown exponentially, and likely will continue to do so.

If you are in an accident in Norfolk, Newport News, or elsewhere in the Tidewater area, contact Michael S. Weisberg PC today by calling 1-800-690-0235.


Michael S. Weisberg, P.C.
112 College Place
Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone: (757) 622-7740
Fax: (757) 533-9223
Toll Free: (800) 690-0235
Email: info@weislaw.com
www.weislaw.com