Beware of Texting Drivers

Technology can be a great convenience. Just from our phones, we can order groceries, see our friends on social media, and communicate easily with the people in our lives. However, with technology comes unintended consequences. For example, in recent years there has been a dramatic increase in car accidents from people texting while driving. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, over 26,000 people died in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers between 2012 and 2019. This is a 10 percent increase over the previous period of time. What changed? The use of cell phones and texting when operating a motor vehicle. So please beware of texting drivers.

Cell Phone Dangers on the Road

I came across some interesting, and scary, statistics in preparation for this blog post. Here are some of my findings:

• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 660,000 of drivers are using their cell phones while operating a vehicle at any moment in the day. The NHTSA also found that texting distracts you long enough to travel the length of an entire football with your eyes off the road when driving at 55 mph.
• Studies by the American Automobile Association have found that:
• 35% of teens admit to texting and driving, even though 94% of them understand the dangers;
• 1 in 4 teens admit to responding to at least one text every time they drive, and;
• 10% of parents and 20% of teens admit to having multi-text conversations while driving.
• Drivesafeonline.org says that texting while driving has the same effect on your driving reaction time as drinking four beers in a single hour. Plus, teens who text while driving spend an average of 10% of their driving time outside of traffic lanes.
• The U.S. Department of Transportation says, in 2019 alone, there were 566 nonoccupants (pedestrians, bicyclists, and others) killed in crashes involving a distracted driver including texters.
• According to the Office of New Jersey’s Attorney General, from 2012 to 2016, nearly 800,000 crashes in New Jersey involved a distracted driver.

What About the Victims?

The above numbers certainly are a cause for worry. For those causing accidents due to texting, there may be criminal penalties. After all, texting while driving is illegal in New Jersey. However, texting drivers could also be civilly sued for hurting other drivers and pedestrians.

Therefore, if you have been injured by distracted or texting drivers, you may be entitled to compensation. This compensation can be used to pay for medical bills and future medical care, lost wages, loss of life’s enjoyment, pain and suffering, and other expenses.

If you have any questions or need help, we are here for you. Just give us a call. In the meantime, beware of texting drivers.