Texting and Driving

There are few things a driver can do that are more dangerous than texting and driving. When a driver removes their attention away from the road—even for a split second—it dramatically increases the chance of an accident. Whether it’s not seeing an approaching stop sign, a pedestrian crossing the street, or a traffic light changing from green to red, distracted drivers put everyone on the road at risk. At Power Trial Lawyers, we represent car accident victims in personal injury cases, helping them recover compensation for everything they’ve been through. Our team of litigators strategically and thoughtfully handles every aspect of every case, focusing on maximizing our clients’ damages awards at every stage of the process.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nine people are killed every single day in distracted driving accidents. This amounts to about 3,200 deaths each year from distracted driving. Of course, cell phone use doesn’t account for every one of these fatal accidents; however, talking and texting while driving are two of the leading types of distracted driving.

In fact, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration refers to texting and driving as “the most alarming distraction.” This is because sending or reading a text message takes, on average, five seconds. That’s five seconds that a driver isn’t paying attention to the road. And, assuming a driver is at traveling at 55 miles per hour, they travel the length of a football field in the amount of time it takes them to read or send a text.

Experts classify distractions into three categories: visual, manual and cognitive. Visual distractions take a driver’s eyes off the roads, manual distractions take their hands off the wheel, and cognitive distractions take their minds off driving. For example, talking to a person in the passenger seat may involve a cognitive distraction but not a manual or visual distraction. On the other hand, reading a funny billboard likely results in a visual distraction, but not a cognitive or manual distraction. However, one of the reasons why texting while driving is so dangerous is that it involves all three categories of distractions. Thus, when someone is texting and driving, their eyes, hands and minds are all paying attention to something other than driving—a lethal combination.

Yes, texting and driving is against the law in California for drivers of all ages unless they are using a hands-free device. In fact, the use of any handheld phone, whether it be for texting, talking, scrolling social media or pulling up directions, is illegal. The law is even stricter for teen drivers under the age of 18, who cannot use any electronic communication device (including a cell phone) to talk or text, regardless of whether they have a hands-free device. The only exception to this rule is if a driver needs to make an emergency call.

Texting while driving in California also results in a fine and, for second offenses, a demerit point being added to the driver’s record. Additionally, a driver who causes an accident while texting and driving may be financially liable for any resulting injuries or property damage.

If you or a loved one was recently injured in a Southern California car accident, and you believe that the at-fault driver was texting and driving, you may be entitled to financial compensation. At Power Trial Lawyers, we are here to help. Our experienced Orange County personal injury lawyers have more than a decade of experience connecting accident victims just like you with meaningful compensation for everything they’ve been through. We can help you understand all your options and determine which is best for your situation. To learn more, and to schedule a free consultation with an attorney today, call 844-844-POWER (7693). You can also connect with us through our online contact form. We proudly represent clients in Los Angeles County and Orange County and have conveniently located offices in Los Angeles and Newport Beach.