Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) voted to recommend a total ban on the use of personal electronics during the operation of motor vehicles. The “personal electronics” includes mobile phones and other electronic devices. The NTSB’s recommendation goes further than most federal, state, and local bans on handheld electronic devices. Many bans focus on actual use of the device – texting, talking, etc. Other bans focus on the handheld nature and allow drivers to use hands-free devices. The NTSB, an independent agency of the federal government, has determined that the current bans on mobile phones and other electronic devices do not go far enough.

The NTSB voted unanimously for the ban after reviewing the details of the tragic Missouri school bus accident that occurred in 2010. In that accident, a pickup truck driver crashed into a tractor trailer that had slowed in a construction zone. Two school buses carrying dozens of high school students crashed into the wreck. Two people died in the Missouri pickup truck accident and dozens were injured. After the accident, the authorities discovered that the pickup truck driver had been texting while driving. In fact, the pickup truck driver had sent 11 text messages in the 11 minutes before the accident had occurred.

According to reports, texting while driving is becoming an increasingly serious problem. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that many Americans admit to texting, emailing, and browsing the internet while operating a motor vehicle. According to the NHTSA, 16% of fatal crashes involve distracted driving. 20% of injury accidents involve distracted driving.

The effect of distracted driving on the rate of Missouri car accidents is the logical extension of its effect on the brain. According to a study from Carnegie Mellon, using a cell phone while driving decreases the amount of brain activity affiliated with driving by 37%. Cell phone use while driving delays a driver’s reaction to road conditions, regardless of whether the cell phone is hand held or not. In fact, the effect of distracted driving on the brain may be just as dangerous as drunk driving.