Despite the countless “It Can Wait” campaigns and stories of accidents and tragic deaths, far too many teenagers are not coming to grasp with the severity of their actions. Texting and driving is plaguing the nation and is one of the leading causes of car accidents and subsequent deaths. Due to this very apparent danger that is on our roads on a daily basis, states are gathering tougher in order to come up with a plan of action to better equip our young drivers and educate them on the dangers as much as possible. Not only will state wide education increase, but also the efforts of local law enforcement agencies in order to catch those drivers who are behind the wheel and yet distracted by their cell phones.
According to the executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), Jonathan Adkins, there is a great threat to the people because of distracted drivers, and the states are doing what they can to address the problem which they have so clearly recognized. Adkins notes that there are a number of key factors that play a role in the usage of devices by drivers on the road. First, the states simply lack the funding that is needed to enforce these laws and educate people about the dangers. Second, the current generation is so consumed with having their cellphones on them at all times that trying to convince people to not look at it for a chunk of time appears next to impossible.
Today the GHSA reports that distracted driving is a “priority issue” in at least 39 states as well as Washington, D.C. Since just 2010, there has been an increase of 43 percent from 28 percent of those drivers who are distracted behind the wheel of their car. While there are no states in the U.S. that have entirely banned the usage of a cell phone while driving, there are 47 states and D.C. which have placed some form of legislation in order to prevent distracted drivers. These laws vary from using only hands free devices, to specific no texting rules. There are 41 states which explicitly ban text and driving, whereas in the year of 2010 there were only 28 states who had taken that measure against distracted driving.
Authorities are focusing primarily on teenagers who are most likely to text while driving, and are already considered to be the greatest crash risks on the road. Adkins reports that the primary strategies that are necessary include tighter policies and education for drivers and parents alike. Sadly, he points out, that with the ever increasing influx of new technology, this is only going to become more difficult.
If you or a loved one were injured in a car accident caused by a distracted driver, contact Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers today for a trusted Shreveport personal injury lawyer.
