Texting While Driving a Growing Problem in Orange County

By Allen Flatt Ballidis & Leslie on May 4, 2010

More than a year after California’s state texting ban was implemented, texting while driving is still on the rise in Orange County. This finding is the result of a random survey done by the Automobile Club of Southern California.

The Auto Club conducted cell phone and texting surveys on a random sample of about 4,000 vehicles driving by seven Orange county roadside locations. Six studies took place over the past two years, both before and after the texting ban became law in January 2009.

Immediately after the law into effect, texting dropped by 17 percent. However, a March 2010 survey shows that texting has rebounded to more than double since then. About 1.1 percent of drivers are now texting as compared to .5 percent in early 2009. Before the ban, 1.4% of motorists were texting.

The Auto Club suggests that more citations may decrease texting by drivers. Police officers say it is difficult to catch drivers who are texting as they often hold the texting device on their laps. Hand-held cell phone users are easier to spot. In Orange County, CHP issued 204 texting-while-driving citations in 2009. During the same period, they issued 10,561 hand-held cell phone violations.

Distracted drivers are dangerous drivers. If you have been injured or have lost a loved one in a car crash caused by a distracted driver, the law is on your side. Contact the personal injury attorneys at Allen Flatt Ballidis & Leslie to learn more about your rights.