In the current age of Information our eyes are increasingly glued to our cellular devices. Walk down any street and you will find individual’s texting a friend, checking one of their many social media accounts, or dialing a number to call. The connectivity we have now has opened our world to opportunities and heights we have never seen before. The digital age is here and it is only getting easier to communicate with others while expanding our social circle.
That is not the case for Liz Marks, who was only a teenager, when she suffered a harrowing car accident that left her blind in one eye, hearing impaired, weakened sense of smell, and the loss of the ability to shed a tear.
It is not the case for Taylor Sauer, a college student at Utah State University, and her family when she died on impact as her car slammed into a truck going uphill at 80 mph.
It is not the case for Wil Craig, a 17 year old at the time, who was in the passenger seat of his friend’s car when they crashed into a tree. He is now still suffering from a traumatic brain injury.
The digital age did not expand the endless possibilities and potential for these young people. On the contrary, it either ended a life or dramatically diminished the opportunities that these young people enjoy. There is one thing that all three beautiful young lives have in common.
Texting while driving.
Liz was reading a text from her mother when she slammed into a flatbed tow truck stopped in her lane. Taylor was posting on her Facebook once every 90 seconds on a 4 hour drive back home when she struck a tanker truck at 80 mph. Wil was riding in the passenger seat when his friend, who was texting, collided with a tree.
These stories of innocence lost so soon show why texting while driving is a danger to the public. This danger then requires unnecessary personal injury litigation and the numbers representing this problem are staggering.
20% of car crashes involve talking on a handheld device or Bluetooth device. That amounts to 1.1 million crashes per year.
6% involve of automobile crashes involve texting while driving. This amounts to 341,000 crashes per year.
For the minimal time of 5 seconds it takes to read a text while driving a speed of 55 mph you can be driving the length of a football field without looking at the road.
We understand the need to stay connected to those that are important to you or to use your phone to close an important business deal. Don’t do it. No text is more important than the life you currently enjoy or the one someone else enjoys.
If by any chance you are involved in an accident where the other party was distracted while driving you will need aggressive personal injury lawyers to represent you and prevent an accident of that nature from happening again. Call Torgenson Law today at (602) 726-0747. We believe in the safety of our communities and our youth. Put down the phone and keep your eyes on the road.
