Although young drivers are the most attached to their phones, adults drive distracted as well. You are 400% more likely to get into a car accident while using a cell phone, than regular motor use. Although Bluetooth, or hands-free, devices are legal to use on the road for drivers over the age of 19 in Illinois, it is still more dangerous than talking to a passenger in the car.

What If I Need to Use My Phone?

Life continues while you are in the car. If you do need to make a phone call or respond to a text message, Illinois State Police recommend safely pulling over to the shoulder of the road. Although hands-free driving is legal, this does not include talking on speakerphone. The only times a nonhands-free device can be used are:

• Parked on the road shoulder;
• To report an emergency; and
• When the car is in neutral or park during regular traffic.

It is tempting to take a quick look at a cell phone while driving, even at a stop light. However, doing so can put yourself and others in danger. Here are some tips for reducing distracted driving:

One of the most common causes of car accidents today is distracted driving. National statistics put the number of Americans killed every year in distracted driving accidents at over 3,000, with another 431,000 victims injured. However, according to a study conducted by AAA, the number of victims is probably much higher. The study found that distracted driving accidents are difficult to accurately track because drivers are most likely very reluctant to admit they were using their cell phone when the crash occurred.

The state of Illinois, along with 45 other states in the country, has banned texting and driving. Illinois is also one of 14 states that have enacted a hand-held cell-phone ban.

Accident Liability

According to a recent study released by the trucking industry, the most popular mode of freight transportation continues to be by tractor-trailers. Although some cargo is delivered via rail, marine, and air transport, the majority of freight is transported by truck. This is evident to any commuter driving on the nation’s roads by the increasing numbers of those huge semis rolling by.

The study of the trucking industry revealed that was almost 10 billion tons of freight transported by truck last year, or approximately 70 percent of all transported cargo. Transporting that freight logged in more than 168.4 billion miles, which comes out to roughly 69,000 miles per truck. Additionally, according to the study, there were 3.4 million truck drivers driving those trucks.

The nearly 170 billion miles of transport also represent an increase in truck accidents which occur every year. National statistics put the number of annual fatal tractor-trailer accidents at almost 4,000. Another 77,000 truck accidents cause serious injuries to victims.