I was asked this morning by a new client why the other driver who crashed into her couldn’t see that she was at a complete stop. I think he was looking down texting while driving. And new vehicle dashboards offer even more distractions.
The Texas House of Representatives just passed a new distracted driving bill last week and it is expected to pass the Senate. Texas would join 40 other states with these bans — but our governor has indicated he will veto the law — again.
I do not understand why our governor is against saving lives and preventing injuries. Just last year, 90,378 crashes were caused by distracted driving in Texas. 453 people died as a result. Most of us (85%) said that driving while talking on a cell phone is a serious threat to our personal safety.
Obviously answering a phone, dialing numbers, texting, or zoning out can take your focus away from the vehicles around you long enough to cause serious collisions.
State officials have tried to make our roads safer by prohibiting new drivers, bus drivers, and people driving through school zones from using cellular devices. It’s comparable to having a alcohol level in your blood high enough to get you arrested for DWI.
Federal officials have just asked automakeers to put stronger limits on touch screens and to ban display of websites, social media, and other text distractions while the car is moving. According to the Transportation Secretary, “distracted drving is unsafe and irresponsible.” Nationally more than 3,000 people were killed and almost 400,000 injured in 2011 as a result.
If you have been involved in an automobile or truck accident where you believe the other person was distracted while driving please contact this office.