Texting While Driving: An Epidemic

Texting while driving is one of the most dangerous forms of driving behavior, both here in Wisconsin and across the country. The reason? There are very few activities as distracting as texting behind the wheel of a car. In, fact, texting involves all three types of driver distraction: manual (use of the hands), visual (use of the eyes) and cognitive (use of the brain).

Young Drivers and Cell Phones

Here’s an alarming statistic — the Federal Communications Commission reports that 40 percent of American teenage drivers say they have been in a vehicle when the driver engaged in some form of cell phone use that put them in danger. About 11 percent of drivers in the age group 18 to 20 who were involved in a crash and survived admitted to sending or reading texts when the crash occurred.

Another study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute revealed that text messaging increases the risk of an auto accident by 23-fold. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 18 percent of all fatal crashes in 2012 were the result of distracted driving.

Texting While Driving Causes Serious Accidents

Teenagers who drive have been raised with cell phones and are in constant communication with their friends through text messaging. They may have difficulty breaking this dangerous habit. Many adult drivers are also guilty of engaging in texting while driving.

The AAA Foundation for Driver Safety reports that 95 percent of drivers consider that cell phone use and texting are a serious threat to personal safety. Even so, 35 percent of the same drivers admit to having read or sent a text or email in the prior month – a “do as I say, not as I do” attitude that has permeated the driving culture in our country.

Of the 35 percent of drivers surveyed who admit to texting while behind the wheel:

54 percent reported that they read or typed messages or emails while stopped at red lights fairly often.
27 percent admitted to reading or sending these messages while driving on residential streets with little to no traffic often or regularly.
16 percent admit to reading or sending messages while driving on a freeway with heavy traffic regularly or fairly often.

Texting while driving is negligent, dangerous and reckless. Rear end accidents caused by texting drivers are all too common. Drifting into oncoming traffic and head-on collisions are also common, leading to the death or serious personal injury of both the texting driver and the driver and passengers in the oncoming vehicle.

Your Legal Options

If you’ve been injured by a texting driver, contact Gruber Law to find out your next step. We believe careless drivers must be held accountable for putting you and your passengers in harm’s way. Here’s what we will do for you.

We will make sure evidence of the texting is preserved and witnesses are interviewed.
We will help determine what parties other than the other driver, might be to blame for your accident.
We’ll examine all insurance policies to determine what coverage might be available for you.
We’ll file all necessary paper work required by insurance companies and Wisconsin courts.
We’ll make sure you meet all deadlines imposed by Wisconsin law.
We’ll keep you updated every step of the way, and make sure all of your questions are promptly answered.

At our firm you will receive the highest level of personal service and commitment to your cause. We will help you fight for what is right, whether in a settlement or at trial when necessary. Call us at once for more information – we stand ready to move into action for you, and to help you seek justice. From our office in Milwaukee we serve all of southeastern Wisconsin, including Kenosha, Madison, Racine, and Waukesha.

Sources

http://www.fcc.gov/guides/texting-while-driving
https://www.aaafoundation.org/sites/default/files/2011HUDWRelease.pdf

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