Texting Behind the Wheel a Serious Problem

20 Nov Texting Behind the Wheel a Serious Problem

According to information from the popular website Infographic, cell phone etiquette is rapidly decaying in the United States. While most of the information is relatively humorous and lighthearted, there are some disturbing facts that people should know. For instance, three in four adults admit that they talk or text when they are behind the wheel. The infographic points out that, on average, sending a text means that a driver has their eyes off of the road for 4.6 seconds. To make it even more disturbing, the information points out that, at a speed of 55 miles per hour, that means that you're essentially driving the length of an entire football field without looking.

Using your cellular phone for texting, Internet surfing, making calls without a hands-free device or any other purpose when you're behind the wheel is most certainly negligent. Car accident trauma and deaths impact the lives of thousands of people every year. When somebody is negligent behind the wheel, they may well end up injuring you, injuring someone in your family, actually taking the life of someone in your family or destroying your property.

Taking Action

There's more that you can do than get mad about this. In fact, if you have been injured by a negligent driver, you do have legal options. The first thing you'll need to do is speak with an attorney who handles these claims. Personal injury attorneys generally do a lot of work representing clients who have been injured by negligent drivers. If you are one of these people, you should speak with an attorney as soon as possible.

The consultations with attorneys that handle these claims generally come at no charge. The attorney won't really know whether or not they can help you until they get a chance to sit down with you and review your claim. If they don't think they can help you, they won't have any motivation to take your claim, as such an attorney will generally work on a contingency basis, meaning that they don't get paid if they don't win compensation or a settlement for you.

If you are one of the many people who has been injured because a driver decided that their text message, phone call or e-mail was more important than what was happening on the road in front of them, you should speak with an attorney. Not paying attention when you are driving is most certainly an act of negligence that puts other drivers at risk.