That Text Can Wait

That Text Can Wait

In 2013, the most recent year for which statistics are available, the U.S. Department of Transportation reports that more than 424,000 people were injured and 3,154 were killed in accidents involving a distracted driver. Most of those accidents were caused by drivers who were texting while driving. Every month in the U.S., more than 153 billion texts are sent and every moment, 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating other electronic devices.

Texting is the Most Serious Type of Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is defined as anything drivers do that diverts their attention from driving. Of all types of distracted driving problems, texting is the most serious. Some of the major problems with texting while driving include:

• Texting involves the simultaneous use of “visual, manual and cognitive” skills. A driver’s eyes are taken off the road for a minimum of five seconds when reading a text and longer when sending one. To put this in perspective, if the vehicle is going 55 miles an hour, five seconds of time the eyes are off the road is equivalent to traveling the length of a football field while blindfolded.
• Studies show that texting and driving is more dangerous than drunk driving. Reaction time is reduced and when a danger appears, the brain must literally shift gears from texting to driving. This takes time and does not happen instantly.
• Those who are texting while driving are three times more likely to have a car crash than non-distracted drivers.
• A survey of young adult drivers revealed that 77 percent of them believe they can safely drive while texting.

Texas Texting and Driving Law

Proposed legislation prohibiting texting and driving in Texas continues to languish without being passed. Even so, at least 40 Texas cities have enacted local ordinances to limit or control cell phone use in their jurisdictions. If cited for texting while driving in these cities, fines range from $200 to $500. Whether or not texting and driving is illegal, after reviewing the statistics and the chances of death or serious injury resulting from a crash that was otherwise avoidable should make everyone decide to put that device down and wait to send or respond to a text until they are safely off the road.

If you were injured in a vehicular accident where the driver was texting, or someone you love was killed in such an accident, you need the assistance of a personal injury attorney who will gather the evidence needed to assist you in collecting all the damages to which you are legally entitled. If you were injured in North Texas, contact us at R.E. Lopez & Associates for a free consultation. We will review all the facts and circumstances of your case and help you decide the best way to proceed.