Why is texting while driving so dangerous?
When drivers send or receive texts while behind the wheel of a car, they put themselves, their passengers as well as the other cars on the road at risk. Of all the possible driving distractions, texting is the most dangerous. That’s because when people are sending or receiving a text, they will look at their phone for nearly five seconds at a time. Depending upon their speed of travel, a lot of road can be covered during that time! For that reason, some reports indicate that a person who is texting while driving is 23 times more likely to have an accident than a person who has both eyes on the road.
What is the penalty for texting while driving?
Georgia’s ban on texting while driving has not appeared to have had much of an impact on this national problem. That’s because it has proven to be difficult to issue citations for texting while driving. Additionally, the penalties are minor when compared to the risks that are created by texting while driving. However, texting while driving is a current hot topic with insurance companies, many of whom are reluctant to pay for injuries stemming from an accident caused by texting while driving. For this reason, the civil liabilities for texting while driving may be more severe than the criminal penalties. In other words, if you cause an accident with injuries by texting while driving, you could be faced with a lawsuit to pay for the victim’s injuries.
If you’ve received a citation for texting while driving or been in an accident caused by texting while driving, it is worthwhile to discuss your rights and liabilities with an experienced attorney. Put your car in park and give us a call! We are available 24 hours a day to answer your legal questions.