For your own safety, cell phone use while operating a motor vehicle is illegal in the state of California. This includes calling, dialing, or texting using a cell phone device.

Why? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 80 percent of car accidents involve at some form of driver distraction within three seconds of the car crash, and talking on a cell phone is one of the prime distractions leading to car accidents today.

Did you know that dialing a phone number on a cell phone while driving increases your risk of a car accident or near car accident 2.8 times?

That’s why it’s no surprise that authorities in the San Diego County area are cracking down on cell phone use while driving. This month, police in San Diego unrolled their zero-tolerance campaign against using cell phones while driving, according to CBS News.

But it seems that San Diegans just can’t put down the cell phone when driving. Call it a bad habit or just plain irresponsible, but cell phone use while driving is no light matter.  On Dec. 10, some 456 people were ticketed for illegally using a cell phone while driving within San Diego County.

If you need further proof that cell phone use while driving is dangerous, consider a study conducted by The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society which suggested distracted drivers who use cell phones are just as dangerous on the road as those driving under the influence, according to CNET News.

The study set up four different driving scenes. Forty drivers were evenly allocated into the following four driving conditions: no distractions, using a handheld cell phone, talking on a hands-free device, and driving while intoxicated to the California legal limit of .08 percent blood alcohol level. The participants followed a pace car in each unique condition. The pace vehicle simulated real-life conditions like stop-and-go traffic and intermittent braking.

At the end of the simulation, researchers found that drivers using mobile devices while driving drove slower, braked slower, and were more likely to have a distracted driving car accident than other drivers in other simulations. In fact, not even one of the drunk drivers crashed, but three participants using cell phones were involved in a car accident.

San Diego, please put down the cell phones – it’s never been more important to stay safe on the roads and avoid car accidents and personal injury. You can do your part by not using your cell phone while driving.

If a car accident injury does occur from another driver’s cell phone use, contact our San Diego auto accident lawyers at 1-800-655-6585 for a free and private evaluation of your case.

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