Brad Parker, the founder of Parker Law Firm, discusses the process of a personal injury case in Texas.
With the wide use of smartphones in the Fort Worth, distracted driving has become an important traffic safety topic. While cell phones and navigation devices often are the culprit when it comes to distracted driving, conventional distractions such as interacting with passengers, disciplining rowdy children, and eating or drinking also contribute to crashes. Distracted driving fall into several categories.
Visual
Visual distracted driving refers to anything that takes the driver’s eyes off the road. An example of this is turning to look at a passenger while having a conversation. The American Automobile Association explains that visual distractions such as glances away from the forward roadway lasting more than two seconds increase the risk of a crash or near-crash to more than two times that of normal driving.
Manual
Manual distractions are any activities that take the driver’s hands off the wheel. For instance, when a driver is holding food or a beverage, he or she is manually distracted. Studies among teen drivers found that manual distractions (operating electronic devices, adjusting controls, etc.) were the most common behaviors observed.
Cognitive
Cognitive or mental distractions take the driver’s mind off the task at hand. Dwelling on an intense conversation while behind the wheel might constitute as cognitively distracted driving. Any form of visual or manual distraction inherently involves an element of cognitive distraction, as well.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the following factors are the most common for causing distracted driving accidents:
distracted driving.Sending electronic messages while driving became illegal in Texas on Sept. 21, 2017. This law only applies to texting or sending emails while in a moving vehicle, which means that a driver can still text in their cars but only if it is at a complete stop. If you break the law, it will cost you $99 for your first offense. Any repeat offenses cost $200. If there is an accident that happens because of your texting, you could be jailed for up to one year and receive a fine of up to $4,000. Additional cellphone laws to remember include:
Parker Law Firm has experience in discovering the causes of a car accident. If the accident was caused by a distraction, like text messaging or speaking on a cell phone, we can help. If you are a victim of a car accident caused by a distracted driver in Fort Worth, do not hesitate to contact our car accident lawyers to discuss your legal options. Victims of distracted drivers should seek legal advice not only to weigh the options that are available to them but to get sound legal interpretation of Texas law.
Parker Law Firm went above and beyond for me when I was in a car crash that left my back injured. Every encounter I had with them was supportive, caring and empathetic. They over communicated with me, keeping me apprised of the status of my claim through the entire process. It was truly a great experience working with them, I would hire them again (but hope I won’t need to)!