Texas Texting and Driving Car Accident Cases
Smartphones put the world at your fingertips. IPhones and 4G make surfing the web incredibly easy. There is a strong temptation to check email or text, even while driving. It may seem harmless to look at your phone while driving. Many people may think that looking at the phone for a few seconds won’t hurt anything. A quick text or a scan of an email isn’t that distracting, right? Wrong! It only takes a second for traffic to change. A hazard in the road can appear out of nowhere. With so many driving texting and driving, accidents are sure to happen.
Texting Behind the Wheel is a Distraction
A driver distraction is anything that takes your eyes or attention away from the road. These distractions can include screaming kids in the back seat, fast food, and answering phones. Texting not only takes your eyes off the road, but it also requires your attention and your hands.
Statistics demonstrate that when you send or read a text message while driving, your eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. If you’re driving 55 mph, you will travel the distance of a football field in 4.6 seconds. That means you drive end zone to end zone without looking. It has been estimated that texting while driving increases your risk of an accident by 23 times.
Auto Accidents and Texting
Texting and driving can cause auto accidents ranging from fender benders to wrongful death. Auto accidents that are often caused by texting while driving or distracting driving include:
- 18 Wheeler Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- Rear-ended Collisions
- Head on Collisions
- Rollover Accidents
- Bus Accidents
- People hit by cars
Texting is not the Only Distraction
There are several other distractions that can take our focus away from driving and cause accidents, including:
- Taking and making calls
- Looking at a map on your phone or dashboard
- Messing with the radio
- Putting on makeup
- Eating
According the Department of Transportation, 3,154 people died, and another 424,000 were injured in 2013, in motor vehicle crashes caused by drivers who were distracted by texting or using cell phones.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer who Holds Those who Text and Drive Accountable
Drivers who cause accidents because of texting should be held accountable. Negligent drivers need to pay for the harm that they cause. An experienced personal injury lawyer can investigate the case, gather phone records, and get to the cause of the accident. Chelsie King Garza will help you recover compensation for your injuries. Contact Chelsie King Garza today.
