As lawyers helping Michigan drivers involved in serious car accidents and truck accidents, we know from very real cases how dangerous texting while driving can be. Yet the same people who would never drink and drive think nothing about how completely unsafe it is to text while driving.
It is human nature to believe one is invincible, and people will no doubt continue to pound away on the keypads of their cell phones during their lengthy commutes. In fact, an estimated 18-20 percent of drivers are sending or receiving text messages while behind the wheel, stated a recent Nationwide Insurance study.
But one recent tragic accident is providing a shocking, true-to-life example of why texting while driving is akin to playing Russian roulette.
According to an MSNBC story, it’s suspected that the engineer of a Los Angeles Metrolink commuter train was text messaging when the train ran a stop signal and crashed into an oncoming freight engine. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the tragedy, which resulted in 25 deaths, including the engineer, and 128 people injured.
It only takes three seconds for a driver to take their eyes off the road and become involved in an automobile accident, said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Taking into account evolving technological advances, there are so many reasons for drivers to become continually distracted, hence the catch-phrase “driving while distracted.” Now add responding to a blinking text message to the driver’s task list of talking on the phone, switching CDs, applying makeup, eating and programming directions into a global positioning system.
With that, the car accident attorneys at Michigan Auto Law can’t stress enough that drivers must refrain from texting until they are no longer behind the wheel. It’s just not worth it.
The train accident is ridiculous! So is people driving and texting; I believe there is now voice recognition software for your car that can both answer and send text messages with out a driver having to take his or her hands off of the wheel.
Just three weeks ago (on my way to the office) I was behind one of my daughters friends as she made her way to school – texting the entire time. She narrowly escaped being involved in an accident three times in a seven-minute period. Did I call her parents? Absolutley. I hope someone would call me if my child was doing the same.