Cell Phone facts

• Eighty percent of accidents and 65 percent of near misses are due to driver distraction

• Using a cell phone while driving increases the risk of an accident more than driving with a blood alcohol level of .08, the legal limit in most states.

• There is no reduction in risk or impairment when using a hands-free device.

• More than 40,000 people die each year in car accidents. About 25 percent of those, or 10,000 people, die every year due to driver inattention.

• Text messaging while driving raises the risk of an accident six times. Cell phone driving raises the risk four times.