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Texas Gets Tough on Distracted Driving

Jan. 5, 2018

You’ve seen the billboards and other ads. The state campaign against distracted driving, “Talk, Text, Crash,” is in high gear. But there is much more to it as Texas takes action to cut down the number of injuries and deaths caused by people who are not keeping their eyes on the road.

There is much more to distracted driving than just texting. If you have been injured in an accident there’s a good chance that some form of distraction was involved. This can help your case and make it much easier for you to get the settlement you need to make a full recovery.

A Large and Growing Problem

The Texas Department of Transportation (TXDot) estimates that one in five accidents today are caused by distracted driving. That’s 109,658 in 2016, the last year with solid numbers. These resulted in over 3,000 injuries and 455 deaths.

Despite the main message of the campaign, TXDoT lists many things which can cause distracted driving. These include:

  • Eating

  • Grooming and makeup

  • Operating a navigation system

  • And, of course, texting

Anything which takes the driver’s attention off the road is a part of this growing problem. It’s important that everyone makes sure they are keeping their attention on the road and spreading the word across Texas.

Focus on Young Drivers

Accidents attributed to distracted driving are highest among new drivers, primarily between 16 and 34 years of age. For that reason, starting last September, new drivers over 18 are required to take a course entitled “Impact Texas Young Driver” before they can get a license to drive.

This two-hour course is based on a video outlining the dangers of all forms of distracted driving. The basic advice? Don’t multi-task when on the road and keep your focus where it belongs. Put your cellphone far enough away that temptation can’t strike and be careful about things like eating and talking while driving.

Far Too Many Injuries

The goal of the campaign and new training is to cut down on the growing number of accidents and injuries caused by distracted driving. This is a serious problem and it may have already affected you. If you were in a crash caused by a driver who was not paying attention you may need your own representation. This is especially true if you were a passenger who was injured.

If the driver who caused the accident which injured you was distracted it may seem simple enough. But it’s important have an experienced personal injury attorney who knows how to counter the lawyers hired by insurance companies and prove what happened. If you were hurt in an accident it’s important that you have someone there on your side.