App that Measures Driver Phone Use Finds that Behind-the-Wheel Use is Growing
Study after study has emerged in recent years showing the dangers of driving while distracted by a mobile phone. Not only has scientific research concluded that drivers simply aren’t able to drive safely while using a phone, but the growing rate of roadway fatalities in the US underscores the dangers of distracted driving. New research from the app Zendrive shows that behind the wheel phone use is becoming even more widespread, and that drivers are hooked for longer periods of time. Learn more about what the data reveal below, and contact a New York personal injury lawyer if you’ve been injured in a crash with a distracted driver in the Hudson Valley.
Phone use is more widespread and lasts longer
Zendrive is a Silicon Valley startup whose software is used by ride-sharing companies and insurance carriers to measure the phone use of drivers. The software uses a phone’s motion sensors and GPS to detect when a phone is being used during a drive. Each year, the company releases data on the rates of phone use among its users based on anonymous data gathered over several months. This year’s report was based on data gathered from 4.5 million drivers between December 2017 and February 2018, during which time these drivers covered 7.1 billion miles.
According to Zendrive’s analysis of the data gathered, over 60% of all drivers tracked used their phones at least once while driving. By extrapolating this data to the entire US population, Zendrive estimates that about 69 million drivers per day use their phones while behind the wheel. Zendrive also found that the length of time that drivers are on their phone increased, with the average driver spending nearly four minutes of every hour they’re behind the wheel on their phones. This marks a 5% increase over last year’s average phone time.
Jonathan Matus, the CEO of Zendrive, noted, “As you have more young drivers on the road, and as people increasingly become addicted to their smartphones, it will continue being a major health issue—almost an epidemic—in this country.”
Laws restricting phone use seem to have little impact
The Zendrive study also showed that laws limiting cell phone use by drivers seem to have little effect. For example, California has some of the country’s most restrictive laws on use of phones behind the wheel. Nevertheless, the average Californian is estimated to use their phone for over 6.5% of the time that they’re behind the wheel, which is an increase of over 50% over the past 12 months. The average New York driver is estimated to be on their phone for nearly 6% of their driving time, which is an increase of nearly 17% over the past 12 months. Distracted drivers are putting the lives of other drivers at risk and can face civil liability through a personal injury lawsuit when they inflict serious harm on others.
If you’ve been injured by a distracted driver in New York, get help seeking the money you’re owed after a crash by contacting the dedicated and compassionate Poughkeepsie personal injury lawyers at the Law Office of Taran M. Provost, PLLC for a free consultation at 845-675-3243, with additional offices in Mahopac.