The sad reality is that too many accidents are caused by distracted driving, where any inattention to the road when behind the wheel, even if for just a moment, can be deadly.
Consider how if you’re traveling at 60 miles an hour, you’ll be traversing nearly a football field’s length in under four seconds. With other cars matching or exceeding your speed, a lot can change in those seconds, which means that any distraction can lead to devastating consequences.
Our legal team is skilled at handling personal injury claims because of distracted driving car accidents, but it’s our hope to make you better aware of the dangerous behavior of distracted driving and what you can do to help keep our roads safer.
The Cost of Distracted Driving
In 2018, Texas saw 2,340 injuries and 394 deaths due to distracted driving. Those numbers rose to 2,824 injuries and 487 deaths in 2022. The national count for distracted driving deaths is in the thousands each year.
Everyone loses when people drive distracted. In 2019, the United States lost $98.2 billion in economic costs due to distracted driving, which was $30 billion more than the economic costs due to crashes from alcohol. This is in addition to the thousands of families that are affected by injury or loss of loved ones. Paying attention to the roads keeps everyone safe.
What’s the Penalty for Distracted Driving in Texas?
Distracted driving is an expensive choice. As of 2017, people who drive while distracted may be fined up to $200, even if they are not involved in an accident. If a distracted driver does get into an accident, there are not only the fines to consider, but they may also have to face rising monthly insurance prices, not to mention high medical and rehabilitation bills.
Just a Second: How Dangerous is Distracted Driving?
The risks of crashing increase exponentially when distracted; texting can increase crash risks by 23 times. We’ve known for decades that cell phone usage can be comparable to drunk driving because of the dangerous delay in reaction time and the lack of focus. While laws and campaigns that outlaw the use of cellphones have decreased hand-held devices, distracted driving deaths are still on the rise, and in Texas, there was a 17% increase in fatalities from 2020 to 2021.
What Is Considered a Distraction?
Distractions may be categorized as cognitive, manual, visual, or visual/manual.
- Texting is both a cognitive and manual distraction as it divides a driver’s attention and forces them to take their hands off the wheel. It’s illegal to text and drive in Texas.
- Talking on the phone, whether or not you’re using hands-free technology, can cause a distracting conversation.
- Eating food is a manual distraction, and one hand is busy holding or unwrapping the food.
- Adjusting the radio might seem like a slight risk, but you’re still removing one hand from the wheel.
- Interacting with in-car screens, such as setting your directions, can be a manual and cognitive distraction.
- Even talking with other passengers is a distraction; if your mind is immersed in the conversation, your attention is split.
A Special Consideration for Teens
Teenage drivers are new to the practical side of driving and may be less likely to act with assertive and safe behavior. Teenagers are also very connected to their technology. In 2020, 7% of teenage crashes involved distracted driving.
You can help prevent teen distracted driving. If you’re a parent or a guardian:
- Talk to your child about distracted driving and the dangers it poses
- Be a role model when it comes to safe driving
- Avoid calling your child when you know they’re driving
- Limit the number of friends a new driver can have in the car
Who’s Affected by Distracted Driving?
It’s not only the person or people who were involved in the crash who are affected by distracted driving but their family and friends, as well. To help raise awareness, people have told their stories of the harrowing experience of being in a distracted driving car crash, as well as the sorrow they feel at the loss of their family members.
- Dee Estelle lost both of her two children when all three of them were in an accident a few days before Christmas in 2015.
- Javier Zamora, a soldier who had only been home from Iraq for a short time, left behind three children when a driver hit him head-on in 2007.
- Jonathon Esquivel, a San Antonio police officer, spent three years in recovery before returning to the force after being hit by a distracted driver while on the job.
These are just a few stories of the tragedies and hardships that people have had to face due to distracted driving. There are millions of more people out there with similar stories—all because someone took their attention away from the wheel for moments.
The good news is that distracted driving is 100% preventable, and you are the first line of defense.
Working Together to Prevent Distracted Driving
There are already efforts to minimize the harm that this unsafe practice presents. Section 545.4151 of the Texas Transportation Code details cell phone usage and laws. Essentially, it is illegal for anyone to text or email while driving, and some cities ban calls as well.
Texas also has several safety campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving. These include:
- Text. Crash.
- #EndTheStreakTX, referencing Nov. 7, 2000, was the last day without a driving fatality in Texas
- Nationally, Distracted Driving Month falls in April
Ensuring roads that are free from distracted driving takes everyone’s help. You can be a hero in your own community and keep highways and streets safe by:
- Setting your phone to silent when driving so you’re not distracted by incoming texts or calls.
- Pre-planning your trip by setting up your directions or music beforehand.
- Pulling over to the side of the road if you need to eat, make a call, or pick something up.
- Making sure you’re more focused on the road than on a conversation with passengers.
- Keep pets secured when they ride with you.
- Talk to your family members and friends, particularly teens learning to drive, about the dangers of distracted driving.
Reach out to Pastrana & García Injury Law
Distracted driving has no place on our roads. If you’ve been injured by a distracted driver, contact our lawyers. We can help you navigate your personal injury claim so you can receive compensation for your injuries. Call us today at 512-474-4487 or contact us online.
