Texting and Driving
Distractive Driving has become a major public health risk across the United States. Texting and Driving has increased with the popularity of smartphones and other devices, rivers now have more temptation than ever to take their eyes off the road. In addition to the food and drink, children, pets, passengers, and other common distractors that have always been present, drivers are now distracted by smartphones, navigation programs, and in-vehicle entertainment systems.
These distractors have led to a plague of distracted driving. In fact, it is such a problem that the National Highway Traffic & Safety Administration (NHTSA) , the Centers for disease control (CDC), and other federal agencies have all started campaigns against distracted driving.
Spreading awareness is an important step toward combating this fatal behavior. Ultimately, however, it is up to individual drivers to accept responsibility for safe driving behaviors. What follows are ten of the reasons why you should never text while driving. Read on to learn the top ten reasons not to drive from our experienced accident attorneys.
6.) STATE LAWS WILL NOT STOP THE CONSEQUENCES OF A TEXTING AND DRIVING FATALITY
According to the FCC, 21 states ban the use of handheld devices while driving but there is not a national ban. You can still be subject to a civil judgment regardless of if there is a ban or not. If the victim dies, you can be charged with homicide and still face a wrongful death action from the victim’s family. The risks of texting and driving are the same regardless of what state you drive in or the current laws of that state.
7.) IT SETS A BAD EXAMPLE FOR TEEN DRIVERS, ELDERLY DRIVERS, AND NEW DRIVERS
You might not realize it, but you are setting an example for other drivers every time you get behind the wheel, especially if there is anyone else in the car with you. Even when you are driving on your own, you are still setting an example for other drivers on the road. Consider who is watching you.
There are teen drivers accustomed to constant communication through texting. There are elderly drivers whose reaction times are naturally slowing as they age. Some new drivers might have a hard time navigating traffic without added distractions.
What message do you want to send to these other drivers? Do you want to contribute to a message that it is okay to text while driving? This validation can cost lives. You might not stop other drivers from making bad choices, but you can at least avoid contributing to the problem.
8.) IT IS VERY EASY TO PULL OVER
Sometimes emergencies come up in life. You might have an urgent work situation, children who need your immediate attention, or a relative in the hospital. Situations like these are understandable and often unavoidable. They cannot, however, be allowed to distract you from the road. An avoidable auto accident is the last thing you need when you have other stressful situations in your life.
If you are expecting an urgent call, text, or email, simply pull over before you check your phone. Choose a route where you can pull over quickly if you get an urgent message. Avoid the highways. You might not have a shoulder to pull onto and, even if you do, these are very dangerous. Many accidents are caused by highway drivers who did not properly avoid someone in the emergency lane.
9.) YOUR TEXT MESSAGES CAN AND WILL BE USED AGAINST YOU IN A COURT OF LAW
If you are involved in an auto accident, the first thing a prosecutor or plaintiff’s attorney is sure to do is subpoena your cell phone records. Your phone records will show whether you were receiving or sending phone calls or text messages in the minutes before the crash. Your private messages, phone number, and account information could all become public records if introduced in a lawsuit. The lack of privacy is just one more consequence of distracted driving that you should avoid.
10.) YOU JUST CAN’T BEAT THE STATISTICS
You might think that you can safely send text messages while driving or that you are an experienced driver who can “handle it.” The evidence is that this is simply not the case for any driver. MSN reports that many drivers believe they are “more skilled” or “better at multitasking” than the average driver and they have 60 other statistics associated with texting and driving.
Put simply, you cannot “learn” to safely use your phone while driving, in much the same way that you cannot “learn” to safely operate a vehicle after drinking. The mistaken belief that you will somehow beat the odds is a dangerous level of overconfidence that has fatal consequences for too many drivers.
So what can be done to combat overconfidence? First, all drivers need to understand the dangers of texting and drivers. Research suggests that far too many drivers still believe texting while driving is not that dangerous or is not that big of a problem. Help those around you understand how important it is not to text and drive. Here, too, set a good example, even if nobody else is in the car with you. Let your loved ones know that you do not feel safe when they are texting and driving.
GET EXPERIENCED, AGGRESSIVE INJURY LAWYERS FOR YOUR DISTRACTED DRIVING CASE
Distracted drivers must be held accountable for the injuries they cause. By filing a car accident claim, you not only protect your legal right to compensation for your losses but also discourage other drivers from texting and driving. This can save lives.
Call an experienced car accident lawyer or law firm such as Betz & Baril who will fight hard to protect your legal right to receive compensation for all of your injuries and losses, current and future damages.
Texting and Driving is a leading cause of accidents in Tennessee and throughout the USA. In Tennessee whether it is Knoxville, Nashville, Memphis or the Tri-Cities there will be accidents related to texting and driving today that could have been prevented by not texting and driving.