Over 125 studies have confirmed what most people suspected: Driving and talking on a cell phone can get you killed.
Sadly, many parents have no idea how dangerous it is until the damage is done.
And note that the one common link between all of the research is the fact that using a hands-free phone is absolutely no safer than driving with a hand-held phone.
The only thing a hands-free device can do is give people a false sense of security and safety.
Accidents, Injuries and Death
Accurate tracking of accidents caused by cell phone use is difficult because most of these accidents are filed under "driver distraction" or "driver inattention."
Further, unless someone admits to using a cell phone, or a witness is involved, law enforcement must prove a link by knowing the exact time of the accident.
That time must match the phone record showing the driver was indeed using the phone. And an accident report might say the driver was speeding and talking or texting on their phone.
Was it the speeding or the distraction of the phone that caused the problem? Or both? Add to that the huge problem that most people will never admit they were using their phone.
| The one thing that everyone agrees is that accidents caused by cell phones are vastly under-reported. Here's a very small sample of what is happening in the USA alone: • Alaska — Authorities report that a driver of an SUV crossed five lanes of traffic and slammed into a train. The unnamed driver had reached down to pick up his cell phone that he dropped. • Arkansas — Paul Davidson, 41, was killed when 27-year-old Michael Blanchard crossed the center line. Authorities said that Blanchard had been texting on his phone. He later killed himself after being charged in causing the death of Davidson. |
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• Arkansas — Kevin L. Castillo, 22, was text-messaging on his phone when his truck left the road and crashed. Castillo died in the crash.
• Arkansas — Thomas Jones was looking at his cell phone when he crashed into Robin Matlock, causing injuries to Matlock and her passenger.
• Arkansas — Two children received head injuries when Linda Childers Knapp struck the vehicle of Shadrick Adams. Knapp was talking on her cell phone.
• Arkansas — Mariah West, 18, was killed when she lost control of her car causing it to flip several times. Her family says she was text-messaging at the time of the crash.
• Arizona — Police report that 18-year-old Ashley Miller was sending a text message when she crossed the center line and slammed into a vehicle driven by Stacey Stubbs. Both Miller and Stubbs were killed.
• Arizona — An 18-year-old girl slammed head-on into another car killing both drivers. Police report the accident was caused by the teen texting on her phone. (Video)
• California — Los Angeles commuter train engineer Robert Sanchez missed a signal that caused 25 people to lose their lives. Records indicate that Sanchez had been texting on his phone.
• California — Deborah Matis-Engle, 49, was using her text-messaging feature to pay bills when she slammed into cars that were stopped on the highway. Petra Winn, 46, was killed when her car burst into flames from the impact.
• California — Gladis Andrade-Zepeda, 33, dropped her cell phone and was looking for it when she crashed. Andrade-Zepeda was killed when her car was struck by a second vehicle.
• California — According to the Highway Patrol, Ronald Rudisill, 63, was killed by a driver who was allegedly driving under the influence of drugs and sending a text message. The driver didn't see that traffic had stopped.
• California — 16-year-old Kayla Preuss was killed when the vehicle she was driving went out of control and crashed. She had been drinking, speeding, and sending text messages at the time of the crash. Her open cell phone was found at her feet.
• California — 5-year-old Kyle Coble and his two sisters Emma, 4, and Katie, 2, were all killed when the vehicle they were in was slammed into by trucker Jorge Miguel Romero, who was trying to check his cell phone voice mail.
• California — Authorities report that David Burns, 55, was talking on his cell phone when he slammed into a highway maintenance truck. Three people were hospitalized.
• California — Brittany Nichole Rodrigues, 20, was talking on her phone when she left the road and slammed into a utility pole.
• California — California Highway Patrol officer Dwight Havens was injured when an unnamed driver on a cell phone slammed into another car which then hit Havens' car.
• California — Miriam Duarte, 39, reached for her ringing cell phone, ran off the road and flipped her vehicle. Duarte and her passenger Maria Loyola, 49, had to be removed from the vehicle with the Jaws of Life.
• Colorado — Erica Forney, 9, was struck and killed by an SUV driven by Michelle Smith, who was driving and talking on her phone. Smith received 24 months probation and a $300.00 fine.
• Colorado — 18-year-old Makayla Lynn Belew was killed after being hit by a driver who was text messaging on his phone.
• Colorado — 18-year-old Nancy Trimpe was killed when Donte Brown, 24, ran a light and struck Trimpe's vehicle. Police report that Brown was distracted by his cell phone.
• Colorado — Jim R. Price, 63, was hit and killed while riding his bicycle in the bicycle lane of Wildcat Reserve Parkway. The 17-year-old driver was text-messaging on his cell phone when he hit Mr. Price.
• Colorado — Samantha Ann Loy, 18, was killed when she rolled her vehicle into oncoming traffic. The Colorado State Patrol suspects that she was texting at the time.
• Colorado — Michael Richardson, 40, was reaching for his cell phone when his car left the road and rolled. Richardson's 9-year-old son was killed.
• Colorado — Police report that a trucker was distracted by his cell phone and hit a guard rail pushing it into traffic.
• Connecticut — 82-year-old James Morrissey died a month after being run down by a driver chatting on a cell phone.
• Connecticut— Sharlyn Ayala-Gonzalez, 19, was talking on her cell phone while trying to pass another car and slammed into a guardrail. She suffered serious injuries.
• Delaware — 25-year-old William Mangum told police that he was trying to pick up his cell phone when he crashed into a utilitiy pole and fire hydrant.
• Florida — Lesley Beers, 32, was killed when her car was slammed into from behind by a vehicle driven by Sheila Hulick. Cell phone records show that Hulick was on her phone. A jury later awarded Beers' husband 21.6 million dollars in a wrongful death suit.
• Florida — Stephanie Phillips, 37, and Heather Hurd, 26, were killed when a tractor-trailer ran a stop light. The trucker was distracted by text-messaging on his phone. Numerous other people suffered injuries. (Accident Pics)
• Florida — Dawn Ann Thoma, 32, was killed when she drove into the path of a freight train. Dawn was talking to her brother on the phone at the time of the crash.
• Florida — An unnamed 17-year-old female was distracted by her cell phone and slammed into a man trimming trees, pinning him against a wood chipper. (News Video)
• Florida — Jessica Balmer, 20, reached for her dropped cell phone and slammed head-on into a vehicle driven by Phillip Trotman. Trotman and his passenger, Barbara Trotman, suffered serious injuries.
• Florida — Katelyn Blaylock, 18, was text messaging when she didn't see a stop light, and slammed into a Tampa police car. (News Video)
• Georgia — Ryan Duffner, age 2, was killed when his mother's car was hit by a 16-year-old girl who was using her cell phone while driving. Ryan's mother, Lisa Duffner, sustained serious injuries in the crash.
• Georgia — A woman known only as Allison wrecked her car while trying to drive and talk to a radio station. (News Video)
• Illinois — Katlin McGuire, age 20, was killed when she was distracted by her cell phone. Her passenger received serious injuries.
• Illinois — Matt Wilhelm, age 25, was killed by a driver who was busy downloading ringtones onto her phone.
• Illinois — Sandra Jeffers, 58, crashed and overturned in a cornfield because of reaching down to answer her cell phone.
• Illinois — Alyssa Burns, 17, was text-messaging at the time she lost control of her vehicle, killing her.
• Illinois — Sisters Jessica Uhl, 18, and Kelli Uhl, 13, were killed when their vehicle was hit head-on by Illinois State Police trooper Matt Mitchell. According to documents from a civil suit, trooper Mitchell was sending and receiving e-mails with another trooper, talking to his girlfriend on his cell phone, and doing over 100 MPH.
• Illinois — Ronald Funes-Pineda, 26, was legally drunk and talking on his cell phone when he crashed into a police car injuring the two officers inside.
• Illinois — Witnesses report that Richard Handzel was talking on his cell phone when he crashed into 53-year-old James White. Mr. White suffered severe leg injuries.
• Indiana — Eight people were killed when a semi-trailer slammed into a line of cars. The trucker, Leonardo Cooksey, 32, was trying to charge his cell phone and didn't notice that traffic had stopped.
| • Indiana — Kira Hudson, 20, was having an emotional phone conversation with her boyfriend when she crashed. She is now a paraplegic and gives talks about the dangers of driving while using a phone. • Indiana — Sarah L. Woodruff, 20, was killed when her car left the road and flipped 6 times. State Police report that Sarah had been texting on her phone. • Indiana — Rodney Thompson, 18, was killed when he lost control and struck a utility pole. A 15-year-old female passenger said that Rodney had been texting on his phone at the time of the crash. • Indiana — Jessica Johns, 22, told police that she crashed because she was drunk and trying to pick up her cell phone that she had dropped. • Indiana — Thirty-three-year-old Amber Parsons was drunk and trying to send a text message when her vehicle left the road and crashed into a tree. • Indiana — An unnamed 17-year-old girl told police that she was using her cell phone when she left the road, drove over 70 feet through a yard, and smashed into a house. |
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• Indiana — Authorities report that Faith Mendez, 16, was sending and receiving text messages when her vehicle left the road and crashed, throwing Mendez from the vehicle.
• Indiana — Witnesses report that 52-year-old Delbert Majors was talking on his cell phone when he ran through a stop light and killed 56-year-old Raymond Ferrari. Police report that Majors' also had cocaine in his system.
• Indiana — Charles Carroll, 41, slammed into a tree after he became distracted by his cell phone.
• Indiana — Logan A. Miller, 17, was on his cell phone when his car left the road and crashed into a tree.
• Indiana — William D. Cundiff, 26, told police that he was looking at his ringing cell phone when his car crashed into an Indiana State Police officer.
• Indiana — Casey Uebel, 19, was driving on an icy road and using her cell phone when her 2007 Ford Explorer left the road and landed in some trees.
• Iowa — An unnamed 21-year-old male told police that he was text-messaging when he caused a two-vehicle accident on Interstate 35/80.
• Kansas — Valorie Graham, 38, told State police that she was on her phone when she struck another vehicle, killing Terry Higginbotham, 60, and Jeanie Larson, 64. Graham later said in court that she wasn't using her phone.
• Kansas — Ashley Umscheid, 19, was killed when her vehicle left the road and flipped. Ashley had been text-messaging on her phone.
• Kansas — According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, 15-year-old Megan Renae Thacker was reaching for her phone when her car went through a fence and airborne into a field.
• Kansas — UPS driver Jeremy L. McMillion looked down at his ringing cell phone and crossed the median, went through a fence and hit a building.
• Kentucky — 58-year old Robert Hite was killed when he crashed into a tractor-trailer stopped in traffic. Investigators report that Hite was on his cell phone.
• Kentucky — Two people were injured when 54-year-old Jacqueline Toombs slowed down to answer her cell phone.
• Kentucky — Witnesses report that 22-year-old Melaine Berryhill was talking on her cell phone when she turned in front of 43-year-old Sharon Howard. Howard's vehicle was forced down an embankment. Both drivers were taken to the hospital.
• Kentucky — Kentucky State Police report that 20-year-old Jeffery Smith was texting on his phone when his car left the road and slammed into a utility pole.
• Kentucky — Laura Silva, 43, was struck and killed as she tried to retrieve her cell phone that had been thrown into the roadway.
• Maine — Police believe that Heather Bouchard, 24, dropped her cell phone which caused her to cross the median and crash into oncoming traffic. Bouchard was killed, two others were injured.
• Maine — A 16-year-old girl told authorities that she smashed into a parked car because she dozed off, but officers discovered that she had really been texting.
• Maine — Police report that Alexandra Fordbesson, 18, was on her phone when she ran a stop light and caused a collision.
• Massachusetts — John McCarthy, 58, was hit and killed by a driver who admitted to sending a text message at the time of the crash.
• Massachusetts — Craig P. Bigos, 31, told authorities that he was trying to drive and send a text message when he lost control of his SUV and killed 13-year-old Earman Machado.
• Massachusetts — Jordan Cibley, 18, was killed when his car left the road and struck a tree. Jordan was talking on the phone to his dad when the accident occurred.
• Massachusetts — An unnamed 39-year-old woman was trying to pick up her cell phone that she dropped when she drove through the front of a salon.
• Massachusetts — Aiden Quinn, 24, told authorities that he had been text-messaging his girlfriend when his MBTA Green Line trolley ran a red light and rear-ended another trolley, injuring over 40 passengers.
• Massachusetts — Police report that Melissa Martin, 17, was text-messaging at the time she drove her car off the road and into a tree, killing her.
• Michigan — Jun Joseph Kojima, age 27, died after being hit by an 18-year-old driver who was reaching for his cell phone.
• Michigan — Twelve-year-old Joe Teater was killed when Holly Jo Smeckert, 20, drove through a stop light and crashed into the Teater's vehicle. Smeckert was so consumed by her phone conversation that she didn't even apply her brakes at the stop light.
• Michigan — A 27-year-old woman was driving while texting when she left the road and mowed down a woman and her child in their own driveway. (News Video)
• Michigan — Courtney Tucker, age 19, crashed into a bus while trying to read an incoming text message.
• Minnesota — 21-year-old Leanne Toepper was killed while chatting on her phone. The person she was talking to heard her screams before the phone went dead.
• Minnesota — Kylie Grayden and Kelly Phillips, both 17, we killed when the car Grayden was driving left the road and crashed. Mitch Grengs, a passenger in the car and the cousin of Grayden, said that he believes that Grayden was looking at her iPod or cell phone at the time of the crash.
• Mississippi — Puckett High School senior Daniel Howell was killed when he crashed his car while using his cell phone.
• Missouri — Two-year-old Jackson Moore was killed when his dad—who was riding an ATV with his son—looked down to check an incoming text message.
• Missouri — Three people were killed and 15 injured when trucker Jeffrey R. Knight was distracted by his cell phone.
• Montana — 13-year-old Frances Margay Schee was killed when her school bus was hit by a semi-trailer. The trucker, Reinaldo Gonzalez, admitted that he was talking on his cell phone at the time of the crash. • Montana — Christie Johnson, 34, was killed while trying to plug in her cell phone. Four passengers were injured. • Montana — An unnamed 43-year-old man was using his cell phone at the time he slammed into the back of a logging truck on U.S. 93, near Missoula. The man died in the crash. • Montana — Carol Fowler, 20, reached to pick up her cell phone which caused her vehicle to slam into and roll an oncoming van. • Montana — Breanne Ledbetter, 29, was on the sidewalk jogging while pushing a stroller when she was hit by 16-year-old Tyrell Littlebird. Littlebird told police that he was text-messaging at the time of the accident. • Nebraska — Barbara Baltzell, 53, told authorities that she was distracted because of looking at her cell phone when she slammed into a Nebraska State Patrol officer. • New Hampshire — Jeremy Marcelonis, 22, suffered numerous injuries when his vehicle slammed into the back of a trash truck. Marcelonis told police that he was distracted due to texting on his phone. |
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• New Jersey — 7-year-old Sierra Kerber was killed when a driver on a cell phone ran a red light and crashed into an SUV driven by Sierra's father.
• New Jersey — Adele Loring, 47, suffered critical injuries after hitting another car and overturning. Police report that witnesses saw the victim talking on her phone at the time of the crash.
• New Jersey — Christine Davis, 21, was too busy reading text messages to notice that her car was getting ready to crash into a parked Cadillac. The insurance company said the Caddy was a total loss.
• New Jersey — Jeffrey Latimer, 29, reached for his cell phone, crossed the center line and side-swiped another car.
• New Mexico — Witnesses report that 41-year-old Douglas Flores was trying to text message when his moped slammed into a telephone pole. Flores was killed.
• New York — Five girls who had recently graduated high school were killed when their SUV crashed. Phone records show that the phone registered to the driver (Bailey Goodman) was in use at the time of the crash. Evidence also suggests that she was speeding.
• New York — Five people were killed when Shawn E. Roush lost control of his car. Roush was legally drunk, driving 90 and arguing with his wife on his cell phone at the time of the crash.
• New York — 22-year-old Lance Homer had been drinking, looked at his cell phone to read a text message, and crashed his car on RT 48.
• North Carolina — Macy Winslow, 16, was killed when her vehicle crossed the center line and struck another vehicle. State Police report that there is strong evidence to suggest that Macy had been using her phone when she was killed. Two other people suffered injuries.
• North Carolina — William Daniel Edwards, 59, was looking for his cell phone when his car sideswiped a parked car, drove across a sidewalk, then crashed into the front glass of a flower shop.
• North Dakota — Amanda Burtness, 18, was injured when she was distracted by her cell phone. Her car left the road and flipped upside down in a pond.
• Ohio — Karyn Cordell, 22, and her unborn child were killed when 16-year-old Alexander Manocchio reached over to answer his phone and slammed head-on into Cordell's car.
• Ohio — Seventeen-year-old twins, Kathy and Kimberly Seager, were killed while stopped at a railroad crossing. The twin's car was crushed from behind by a 23-year-old driver who was talking on his cell phone. The driver didn't even try to stop.
• Ohio — Sarah Stearns, 18, told police that she had been sending a text message when the car she was driving hit a mailbox and overturned.
• Ohio — Five-year-old Dameatrius McCreary was killed after exiting a school bus. Angelique Dipman told police that she hit Dameatrius because of reaching down to answer her phone.
• Ohio — An unnamed 18-year-old female was using her phone when she slammed into a utility pole on Chambersburg Road near Route 4.
• Oklahoma — 19-year-old Brittanie Montgomery was killed while driving and using her phone. Brittanie was a dancer for the Hornets NBA basketball team. Her mother is now an advocate for banning the use of cell phones while driving.
• Oklahoma — Jessalyn Sanders, 6, was killed while walking across a street. The driver, Justin Pearsall, told police that he didn't see Jessalyn because he had reached down to answer his phone.
• Oklahoma — Deena Cantrell, 35, rolled her vehicle 7 times after being distracted by her cell phone.
• Oregon — Witnesses report that Sherry Varo, 17, was busy using her phone when she was struck and killed while trying to cross a highway.
• Pennsylvania — Two-year-old Morgan Lee Pena was killed when the car she was riding in was struck by a driver on a cell phone. The driver was too distracted to notice the stop sign.
• Pennsylvania — According to state police, Britnee Nicole Moore, 20, reached down to answer her phone, crossed the center line and crashed head-on into a car driven by 16-year-old Hope Katelynn Mayle, killing her.
• Pennsylvania — Jay and Jean Good, both 58, were killed when their vehicle was slammed into by a tractor-trailer. Todd Whitt, 18, was trying to answer his phone when he pulled into the path of the tractor-trailer, which caused the semi to slam into the Goods' vehicle. The crash left Jacy Good, 22, in a temporary coma.
• Pennsylvania — Christopher Strouse, 24, said that he was distracted by plugging in his cell phone when he hit two girls who were walking along the road. Chelsea Lynn Lancieri, 15, was killed.
• Pennsylvania — Erica L. Rodriguez, 20, was reaching for her cell phone when she smashed into parked cars, injuring a 7-year-old boy.
• Pennsylvania — State police report that William E. Roth, 33, was texting on his phone when he lost control of his truck.
• South Dakota — An unnamed 43-year-old Sioux Falls man reached to grab his cell phone and rolled his vehicle on I-90.
• Texas — Ryan Perez, 24, reached for his cell phone and slammed into a vehicle driven by 18-year-old Samantha Ibarra. Ibarra died in the crash.
• Texas — Chanton Jenkins, 32, was trying to answer his cell phone when he lost control of his car which slid into a rain-filled ditch. Five children in Jenkins' car were killed.
• Texas — Dr. Michael Sanchez was hit and killed while jogging. The driver told police that he was was answering his cell phone.
• Texas — Stephanie Phelps, 16, was using her cell phone when she ran through a stop sign and crashed into a cement truck. Phelps and her 4-month-old daughter were killed.
• Texas — Officer Jason Norling was killed by a driver who was using a cell phone. His wife, Lisa, told local media that she lost her husband to a cell phone.
• Texas — Sergio Kindle was text-messaging when he lost control of his vehicle and slammed into an Austin apartment building.
• Texas — Witnesses report that 49-year-old Gabriele Zarecor was text-messaging when her vehicle struck a concrete barrier. Zarecor was killed in the crash.
• Texas — Cameron Bates, 23, reached for his cell phone, became distracted, and rolled the pickup he was driving.
• Texas — An unnamed man said he was trying to answer his cell phone when his vehicle slammed into a tree. His 10-year-old son received critical injuries in the crash.
• Utah — 17-year-old Lauren Mulkey was killed by a driver who ran a light because he was trying to find a number on his cell phone. • Utah — James A. Furfaro, 38, and Keith P. Odell, 50, were killed when 21-year-old Reggie Shaw sideswiped their vehicle. Phone records show that Shaw had been text-messaging from the time he left home to the time of the accident. For killing two people, Shaw was sentenced to 30 days in jail and 150 hours community service. • Utah — Utah State Police report that a man—identified only as a man in his 40's—rolled his vehicle on I-80 because he was trying to answer his phone. |
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• Utah — Utah State Police report that a woman—identified only as a 64-year-old female—was so consumed in her phone conversation that she didn't even hit the brakes before slamming into a truck that was parked in the emergency lane of I-15. The woman suffered critical injuries.
• Virginia — Joan D. Skupien, 40, was using her phone when her car left the road and crashed into a tree. Skupien died in the crash.
• Virginia — Michael Ozyjowski, 75, was killed when he was run off the road by a woman driving and talking on a cell phone.
• Virginia — Daniel Peinado was talking on his phone when he stepped into a street and was struck and killed.
• Virginia — Nikia Upshur, 27, was driving drunk on U.S. 13 when she reached for her cell phone and crashed. Kiokus Upshur Jr., 5, was thrown out the rear window and killed.
• Virginia — A Virginia State Trooper was injured when 24-year-old Sabrina Farbor hit the Trooper's car, which had pulled over another vehicle. Farbor was using her phone at the time of the accident.
• Washington — Witnesses told the FBI that Sela Anne Kalama, 19, was texting on her phone when she drove off the road and into a river. 17-year-old Vanna K. Francis and 15-year-old Ronnie Scroggins were killed in the crash.
• Washington — A 16-year-old girl told authorities that she smashed into a parked car because she was reading a text message from her boyfriend.
• Washington — Police believe that Brandy Anderson Bergen, 22, was reading a text message when her car failed to round a curve. Bergen suffered severe head trauma.
• Washington — Three people were injured when a 29-year-old man lost control of his vehicle on I-5 and crossed the median, slamming head-on into another car. The 29-year-old was trying to put his cell phone on speaker mode when he lost control.
• Washington — A truck loaded with propane crashed and overturned near a school. Authorities said the driver was on his cell phone when the crash occurred.
• Washington — A 10-year-old boy was struck and seriously injured as he rode his skateboard while talking to his mother on the phone. The boy, Leonardo Soule, made a turn in the street without checking for traffic.
• West Virginia — Chad Ray, of Hurricane, W. VA., is accused of talking on a cell phone at the moment he collided head-on with a school bus.
• West Virginia — Michael Shelley blew through a red light while talking on his phone. One person was killed.
• West Virginia — A minivan driver lost control, hit a car and overturned because of trying to find his cell phone.
• Wisconsin — Witnesses report that 48-year-old Janet Indermuehle was talking on her phone when she lost control and crashed. Indermuehle, her 15-year-old son Daniel Hall, and 14-year-old Tiffany Kastner were all killed.
• Wisconsin — 22-year-old Adam Teumerd was killed after his vehicle left the road and crashed into water. Adam was talking on his cell phone when the person he was speaking with heard the accident.
• Wisconsin — Tracey McDonald-Iwunze, 28, was using her phone when her car ran a stop light and killed Kathryn Marjama.
• Wyoming — Bradley Johnson, 20, was killed while apparently reading a text message when his vehicle crashed.
• Wyoming — 17-year-old Mitchell Birch was killed when his car left the road and went down an embankment. State Police suspect that he was either sending or reading a text message at the time of the accident.
• Wyoming — Brittany Rentas, 16, was killed after the car she was driving collided with another vehicle. Rentas had been texting on her phone.
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