Today, mobile devices can map out destinations, transmit documents and even help you stay connected to friends on Facebook and Twitter; however, in the wake of all this connectivity, headlines continue to be filled with news of fatalities related to cell phones and text messaging.
The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that over 440,000 people were injured and nearly 5,500 people were killed due to distracted drivers in 2009. Just this past August, Dr. Frank Ryan, celebrity plastic surgeon, became a victim of our culture's technology obsession - tweeting while driving - and paid for his lapse in judgment with his life.
California Highway Patrol reported that nearly half a million Californians were injured in distracted driving-related collisions in 2009. According to reports from AAA/Automotive Club of Southern California in the year since California's texting ban went into effect, the number of distracted drivers increased to 2.7 percent of all drivers at any given time.
Twitter and the act of "tweeting" is a relatively new phenomenon. The brainchild of Noah Glass and Jack Dorsey, Twitter is a micro-messaging service that has taken the Internet and the imagination of millions by storm. And, just like other forms of social networking, Twitter members become obsessive about access to breaking news and rumors. The more than 190 million Twitter users include everyone from average Joes to celebrities.
With Twitter being yet another diversion for drivers, Dr. Ryan's death simply indicates that many Californians don't take the ban or the risk of distracted driving seriously. Under the current laws enacted in 2008, California bans handheld cell phone use and text messaging by drivers. Recently, Senate Bill 1475 was signed into law and now results in increased fines for text messaging and cell phone use while driving. Other measures have failed in the state, but law enforcement is implementing a zero-tolerance policy regarding the new law.
While states continue to follow the national trend prohibiting mobile communication device use by drivers, administrations and public interest groups should continue to monitor technological innovations and applications as a mandate for keeping citizens safe. In reality, legislation without real awareness and enforceability offers no solutions to the problem and no solace for the victims of distracted driving.
If you are injured in a motor vehicle accident as a result of someone's distracted driving, contact a personal injury attorney in your area to help protect your rights.
