Does texting etiquette lead to car accidents?

Texting etiquette really seems to depend on who you ask. This can cause stress between people when they look at it very differently.

That said, researchers have noticed that people tend to think a lot about just how fast they should respond. Some reports have indicated that most text responses have a shocking average wait time of just 90 seconds. Others have claimed that waiting to respond for a few minutes is fine, but anything over 20 minutes becomes rude.

If you’re just sitting on your couch watching Netflix, you have time to think about how and when you want to reply. Whether it’s in 90 seconds, 20 minutes or not at all makes little difference to you. But what if you’re in the car?

Say you’re driving to work. It’s a 35-minute commute. You get a text after the first few minutes on the road. Do you feel some obsessive pressure to take out your phone and respond in 90 seconds? Are you worried that a slow response is going to look rude because waiting until you get to work will definitely take more than 20 minutes?

These are the types of societal pressures that may lead people to text and drive. As they try to conform to what their peers expect, they may decide to take the risk of texting behind the wheel. And that, in turn, can lead to a serious car accident.

If you get injured in an accident with a distracted driver, be sure you know how to seek financial compensation for your medical bills and related costs.