New Texting Laws Hope to Prevent Auto Accidents



Posted: Saturday, January 09, 2010

by Katie Kelley
LegalView

Several states have banned the use of cell phones while driving due to reports that using a cell phone while driving may be linked to an increased risk of motor vehicle accidents.

In the United States, six states have completed banned cell phone use while driving, and 19 states have banned texting and driving in effort to reduce the number of car accidents related to distracted driving. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reported that more than 20 percent of drivers admitted texting while driving. The Foundation is committed to banning texting and driving in all 50 states as part of a larger project to reduce the number of auto accidents nationwide.

Most cellular phone bans effect drivers under the age 18, although some states have restricted all drivers. Not only are youth drivers three times as likely to be involve in a fatal car accident, but people 25 or younger also dominate the cellular market, which makes them more prone to be involved in an auto accident involving a cellular device.

A recent study has found that 80 percent of car accidents and 65 percent of near missed were caused due to the driver's lack of attention, according to the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration. Driver inattention is cause primarily by cell phones and drowsiness, according to the study.

Driver inattention can also result in a car accident lawsuit, where the driver involved in a auto accident where the other party was using a cell phone at the time can consider contacting an auto accident attorney to advise them on the best course of legal action.

Each state differs on how cell phones are restricted, either by age or location such as in a school or construction zone; however it appears the conversation distracts drivers much more than using the phone itself. Hands-free devices may come under scrutiny with the results of future studies. For some drivers, conversing on a cell phone while driving may make a drive as prone to having an auto accident as if they were drunk, according to University of Utah psychologist, David Strayer.

Cell phone traffic tickets are not expected to impact an individual's car insurance premium, however the insurance industry has yet to take a position on the new legislation; however the tickets themselves may carry a tremendous fine in many states. The insurance industry has not stated whether a cell phone ticket will impact insurance rates, however; as pointed out by Bob Passmore of the Property Casualty Insurers Associate of America, if an accident occurs while a driver is using a cell phone, premiums will rise as result of the accident.

--------

Find a potential car accident lawyer at http://crash.legalview.com/. LegalView also has a wide range of information on other legal topics including employment law. 
This Article has been viewed 153 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.