Press release
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is taking its Talk, Text, Crash campaign on the road this summer with events around the state to call attention to the epidemic of driver distractions that caused more than 100,000 traffic crashes in Texas last year. In 2014, the number of Texas crashes involving distracted driving was up almost 6 percent from the previous year. Those involved in car accidents in the Corpus Christi area might want to reach out to a Herrman & Herrman, P.L.L.C. texas car accident lawyer.
Joined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, law enforcement, and community leaders, TxDOT is urging motorists to focus 100 percent on driving when they are behind the wheel. Cell phone use may be one of the most visible distractions, but any behavior that takes a driver’s attention away from the road is dangerous, including eating, reading, grooming, programming a GPS, or adjusting the radio. If you’re looking for driving courses so you can try and drive as safely as you can at all times, you may want to visit a website like myimprov.com or others and conduct online driving courses and educational resources.
Distracted Driving Facts
- Last year in Texas, distracted driving caused 100,917 crashes, resulting in 483 fatalities and more than 3,000 serious injuries. (TxDOT)
- Reaction times double when drivers read or send text messages. (TTI)
- Texting takes your eyes off the road for nearly five seconds, on average. At 55 mph, that is like driving an entire football field blindfolded. (NHTSA)
- Research conducted in 2013 found that almost 45 percent of Texas drivers admit to using a mobile phone while driving and know it is dangerous. (IIHS)
Driving requires 100 percent undivided attention. Motorists should:
- Put the phone away—or turn it off—before getting behind the wheel.
- Pull off the road to a safe location before texting or talking on the phone.
- Tell friends and coworkers you will not respond to calls or texts when driving.
- Any activity that keeps you from paying 100 percent attention to your driving is a distraction.
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Jeff Weinstein of Weinstein Law/Realty and Henderson County Now won 2013 American Association for Justice (AAJ) Pro Bono Award for his work alerting high school students of the dangers of distracted driving.
Texting and driving laws should be abolished. Here’s a few reasons why.
1. It gives the cops the authority to go through your phone.
2. It’s a revenue generator for the authorities.
3. There’s already a law against reckless driving. Why have another law that has the same result. You hit someone else or their property, it’s against the law. This law is nothing more than a “pre-crime” law, like you’d find in the movie “The minority Report” with Tom Cruise. Punishing people because they “may” have a wreck. The same as DWI. You’re arrested because you “may” have an accident.
Personally, I believe this law was created by the influence of insurance companies.
Food for thought: If you’re texting and driving, and someone runs a stop sign and you hit that person, the cops could still fine you, even though you would’ve hit that person if your eyes had been glued to the intersection.
This is another example of the government attempting to solve a problem it has no business trying to solve. (like Obamacare)
Is not paying attention to the road a danger? Sure it is. And everyone who drives, should pay attention to their surroundings while behind the wheel. But giving the police to pull you over, for something “they think” is a danger, is giving the cops too much power and control over a “free society.” Remember, there’s already laws against reckless driving. There’s already laws against hitting other people or their property. Creating new laws with the same end result is authoritarian and a complete abuse of government powers.