You are driving down the road when you hear a familiar-sounding ping. You look down at the passenger seat where your cell phone is sitting. You think it will only take a second to see what is going on. However, you decide to wait until you can pull over to check your messages because you are a responsible driver. Unfortunately, not everybody is that conscientious.
Some people may take their eyes off the road for a minute to check a text. Others may tweet while they drive if they believe they are alone on the road. Others still will think that they have superior hand-eye coordination and believe that they will not get into an accident no matter what they do.
In 2020, 3,142 people died as a result of distracted driving. Around 12% of the drivers who caused these accidents were using cell phones. If you have been in an accident caused by a person who you believe was texting while driving, you may be entitled to compensation. Tucker Law can help fight for the compensation you deserve.
Table of Contents
Texting Takes a Driver’s Eyes Off the Road
When a person gets a driver’s license, they are agreeing to take the safety of others into consideration when they operate a vehicle. A person should never take their eyes off the road when driving even for a second to look at a phone. Reading a text takes about 5 seconds. That is enough time for one car to jump in front of another. It is also enough time for a child or animal to run out into the street. Pedestrians are often victims of distracted driving accidents.
Texting Takes Your Hands Off the Wheels
If a person decides to return a text, they are going to have to take their hands off the wheel – even if they can manage to do it without having to take their eyes off the road.
A driver’s hands need to be on the wheel when they drive a car because of how quickly they may have to react to avoid an accident. According to accident studies, a driver has 1.5 seconds to react in time to prevent an accident. If their hands are otherwise occupied, a collision is likely.
Driving While Texting Is Mentally Distracting
Driving is a task that requires concentration. If a person is worried about the content of a text or if the information they get is upsetting, they may not be able to concentrate on the task at hand.
Proving That a Driver Was Texting When They Hit You
If you have been injured in an accident that you believe was the fault of a distracted driver, get the names of witnesses and take pictures at the scene. Be sure to photograph the inside of the car. A cell phone on the passenger seat can be evidence of texting and driving.
Hire a trained injury attorney who can subpoena the cell phone records of the other driver to see if they were texting when the accident happened.
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