According to the Louisiana office of Motor Vehicles, distracted driving is a rising risk factor in auto accidents in New Orléans and the greater Louisiana State.  Authorities attribute this trend to the increased use of handheld devices by drivers on the road. Drivers, who use car phones, Smartphone’s, MP3 players and Tablet Computers while they drive are a higher risk category.  Although these devices offer convenient entertainment and communication, they can also be a severe distraction for drivers. The sight of young driver’s texting, chatting, surfing the web and similar activities; is common during summer when there are most cars on Pelican State roadways.

This problem is not limited to Louisiana roads and highways. The Federal Accident Reporting System estimates that distracted drivers account for nearly 5,500 auto accident fatalities every year in the US. A nother 450,000 close calls and minor incidences are also attributed to careless drivers who use handheld devices while driving. Auto insurance companies estimate that distracted drivers cause 20% of all road accidents in the US.

Typically, there is a host of distractions for any driver no matter where they live. For instance, reaching for the backseat to grab something, lighting cigarettes, tuning the radio, sending or receiving emails and other similar activities are commonplace  with youthful drivers.  Although you may think it is not a big deal to speak on your phone on the way to work, almost all fatal traffic accidents are attributed to the use of cell phones  alone.

Experts at the University of Louisiana single out cell phone use as a major risk factor for road users. Use of a cell phone delays your reflexes and reactions in the same way as drinking alcohol does. You react at the same rate as a driver who can be considered legally drunk in Louisiana roads. A cell phone in essence distracts you in three ways, visually, manually and cognitively. Hence, you whole attention span is on the discussion than on the apparent risks on the road.

Once your driving record reflects that you were culpable for an accident due to distracted driving, it can get difficult to obtain cheap car insurance. High risk drivers face an uphill task to secure Louisiana auto insurance let alone cheap car insurance. This is because distracted driving is a rising factor in auto accidents on Pelican State roads. The sad thing is that most fatalities caused due to distracted driving could have been avoided. Drivers are always reminded to exercise greatest caution while driving. Your attention should be fully focused on the road to prevent accidents from occurring. If you must use your phone or check email while you are on the road, there are many gadgets such as Bluetooth devices and automatic voice dialers which can be used for dialing a cell phone hands free.