STOP Texting and Driving = 911!
Texting and driving is a serious problem. We’ve all been there. We’re driving and we hear our cell phone alert telling us we have a new text. We know we shouldn’t check it while we’re driving, but our curiosity is eating at us – we want to know who texted and what they want. So, we quickly check it, taking our eyes off the road for a second.
This is very risky behavior that can result in an accident. Even taking our eyes off the road for a brief second can put yourself and others on the roadways at risk. And, if you were to cause an accident, you could be deemed negligent and found to be liable for the person’s injuries.
Learn more about the dangers of texting and driving. No text is worth a car accident!
How Big Is the Texting and Driving Problem?
The problem with texting and driving is that it is so common. We all have phones and most of us keep them near us when we’re driving, making it so tempting to text and drive, even when we know the dangers. This can result in accidents, and even fatalities:
· According to AAA, 12 percent of crashes involve someone on a cell phone.
· The U.S. National Library of Medicine found that the risk of a car crash – or a near-crash – increases by 95 percent when someone is reaching for or dialing a phone.
· According to the NHTSA, 15 percent of injury crashes were the result of distracted driving.
· The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states 1 in 5 people involved in distracted driving fatalities were pedestrians, cyclists, or others outside of a vehicle.
Who’s At Risk
While anyone can text and drive, certain age groups are more prone to participate in this risky behavior than others. According to the NHTSA, those between the ages of 15 and 19 are at the highest risk of texting and driving.
According to a study by the CDC, this can be due to the amount of time this group spends on their phones. They found 39 percent of high school students send texts or emails while driving at least once a month.
The CDC also found that 25 percent of distracted drivers who died in car accidents were between the ages of 20 and 29.
Arizona Cell Phone Laws
Each state’s phone laws vary as to what types of actions you are allowed to perform on your cell phone while driving.
In Arizona, it is illegal to talk or text on a cellphone while driving or to use a stand-alone electronic device – unless it is in a hands-free mode. According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, a “stand-alone electronic device” is a “portable device other than a portable wireless communication device that stores audio or video data files to be retrieved on demand by a user.”
In addition to phones, this includes tablets, music, and gaming devices.
Contact Personal Injury Lawyers Ready to Help
If you or a family member was injured by a distracted driver, contact the attorneys at Gallagher & Kennedy at 602-530-8400. We care about our clients and are committed to using our skills, work ethic, and resources to help you or your family obtain compensation and justice.
Choosing the right attorney can improve your legal experience and the odds of success. Injured accident victims throughout Arizona have relied upon our attorneys for exceptional legal services since 1978. We may be able to help you and your family recover fair compensation after a serious accident in Phoenix. Contact our office to request a free case evaluation with one of our Phoenix personal injury lawyers.