Despite legislation prohibiting the practice, a significant majority of college students in the San Diego area use their cellphones while driving, a new survey finds.
According to a research study that surveyed almost 5,000 students at San Diego area colleges including the University of San Diego, San Diego State University, California State San Marcos, the University of California San Diego, and eight other area colleges, an estimated 78 percent of the students surveyed reported using a cellphone to talk or text while behind the wheel of a moving motor vehicle, while only one in four students reported regularly using a hands free device when driving. Only 12 percent of the students surveyed reported abstaining completely from text messaging while driving. About 50 percent of the students surveyed reported sending text messages while driving on the freeway, 60 percent said they text message in city street stop and go traffic, and 87 percent reported sending text messages while stopped at a traffic light. According to a representative from the California Highway Patrol, college students are often over confident in their ability to perform multiple tasks while operating a moving automobile.
As a San Diego car accident lawyer, I have seen the catastrophic damage that can ensue when drivers stop paying attention to the road ahead. If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident caused by an inattentive driver, please consider contacting a personal injury attorney in San Diego.