What are the risks of texting while driving?
Everywhere you turn these days, you hear warnings about texting while driving. On television, news broadcasts, school programs, signs, billboards, you name it, the message is everywhere. There is no question, distracted driving, including texting while driving is dangerous. Not only is it dangerous, but it is also illegal in most states and can come with hefty fines. These warnings are serious. Texting while driving has quickly become a leading cause of car accidents in West Virginia. In fact, the statistics for accidents caused by texting while driving may surpass the total of all other types of car accidents in West Virginia and it may exceed alcohol-related car accidents as the leading cause of car accidents resulting in serious injury or death.
Texting while driving, even for a couple of seconds, takes your attention off from the road. As good as you may be at multitasking, anything that takes your attention away from the road, either visually, physically, or mentally, is a dangerous distraction. Every driver in West Virginia is responsible for obeying traffic laws and using reasonable caution when operating a vehicle. If you are in a car accident in West Virginia caused by texting while driving, the person texting will likely be facing serious consequences that may include criminal penalties and civil liability.
If you read, send or respond to a text message while driving, you have chosen to disobey the law, and you have put everyone on the road at risk. The average text message takes nearly 5 seconds to read or write. If you are driving at around 60 miles per hour, in that amount of time, you would have traveled more than the distance of a football field. During that time it would be easy to accidentally drift into a neighboring lane, accidentally veer off of the road entirely, or even into oncoming traffic. While looking down at your phone you might also miss an upcoming stop sign, red light, or stopped car. Any of these small oversights could have enormously damaging, if not deadly, repercussions. Regardless of how cautious drivers think they are, using a phone while behind the wheel will put both and put the driver and everyone else on the road at risk.
Teenagers are at the most risk in West Virginia because of texting while. More than 10 teens on average are killing in texting while driving accidents every day. This is because teens use electronic devices nearly 3 times as much while driving as adults.
According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, nearly 5,000 people each year are killed by drivers distracted by activities such as texting while driving.
If you or someone you love was injured in an accident caused by someone who was texting and driving, our firm can help. For years, we have been fighting and winning for victims of texting while driving accidents. We understand the senseless suffering caused by distracted driving accident cases and we know the physical, financial and emotional damage that they inflict on families. Let us help.
We’re the small personal injury law firm that gets big results in Wheeling, West Virginia. Call us today for a free consultation.
