Texting and driving is one of the absolute worst things a driver can do. It is considered “distracted driving,” which is something that has been studied at length by government agencies including the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Safety Council. Distracted driving deaths comprised almost 10% of all motor vehicle fatalities in 2015, and 16% of all motor vehicle injuries on the roadways.
Many people think texting and driving is simply another form of multitasking. Few things could be further from the truth, however. Distracted driving includes anything that detracts from the very important job at hand – driving your car. This includes:
Texting and driving is a particularly dangerous form of distracted driving because texting involves:
No one leaves the house thinking they will get in a car accident that day, nor does anyone drive a car believing that sending a simple text could result in the loss of life. And yet, it happens every single day.
Consider this: the average time it takes to send a text is about five seconds. During that same five seconds, a car going 55 miles per hour travels 403 feet. This is the length of a football field, plus both end zones, plus a little bit more. At 70 miles per hour, you cover 102.67 feet per second, or 513.35 feet in five seconds. If the text takes just two seconds more, at 70 miles per hour, this is the length of two football fields, plus both end zones twice.
Can you imagine driving the length of two football fields, with other drivers driving in the same direction and the opposite direction, while you are blindfolded? At 70 miles per hour? By taking your eyes, hands, and mind off the road while texting, this is exactly what you are doing.
Texting and driving accidents can have devastating effects.Common injuries can include:
Regardless of whether someone is injured or is killed, there if often a loss of income. Medical bills, including ambulance and emergency room bills, can be staggering. Sadly, many victims of texting and driving accidents require ongoing care and physical therapy for months, and sometimes even years. Spinal cord injuries and brain injuries may require months of rehabilitation. In many cases involving texting and driving, the injured person is never quite the same as they were before the accident. Future medical bills and medical assistance can really start to add up.
At Zimmet & Zimmet, we are dedicated to helping people get the compensation they deserve. We are well-versed in personal injury law, including the legal requirements of drivers on the Florida roadways. If you were injured in a texting and driving accident, contact us today at 386-255-6400 for to discuss your case. Let us put our experience to work for you and your family.
Founder and Senior Member of Zimmet & Zimmet
Mr. Zimmet has practiced trial law in Central Florida since 1975 and currently represents plaintiffs in the areas of personal injury, nursing malpractice, and medical malpractice.
