Texting: A danger that has to be eliminated

On behalf of Eckert Law Group, LLC on Thursday, August 2, 2018.

As someone who has recently been in a car accident, you've gotten hurt and become exhausted with medical appointments, repair shop quotes and other changes to your life. You're angry at the other driver, because they only needed to put down their phone to prevent this crash.

Texting and driving is a serious problem in the United States, but not everyone recognizes how dangerous their actions are. As a result, you're struggling through physical therapy and will take months to get back to work. You want to hold the driver liable.

Texting: A hazard on American roads

Texting is a well-known hazard in America. People are used to using their phones all the time, and as a result, many don't ever want to put them down for a fear of missing out on a call, text or email. The problem is that even a few seconds looking away from the road can lead to a serious collision that changes your life forever.

The reality is that it doesn't matter how good you are at multitasking. No one can safely use a smartphone, text or read information and drive safely at the same time.

Around 2.5 million people are in crashes every year in the United States. Of those, around 1.6 million involve the use of a cellphone. Essentially, 64 percent of all crashes could be tied to cellphone use or have cellphone use as a factor. Imagine what would happen if people put away their distractions.

How long does it take for texting to result in a crash?

Texting takes the typical driver's eyes and mind off the road for around three seconds. Just three seconds is enough time to crash, to not see a pedestrian in your path or to miss signs of an impending collision. Reading a text takes an average of five seconds, allowing a vehicle moving at 55 mph to travel the length of a football field without the driver paying attention to the road. When it's put in terms like that, it's easy to recognize just how many hazards could be present between the driver when they look down and up again.

There's no excuse for texting and driving, yet people do it every day. Those who are hurt deserve the right to pursue a lawsuit to hold those people accountable for their negligent actions, especially due to the impact those actions had on their lives.