Smartphones and Distracted Driving

Checking email, playing games or updating Facebook status can lead to car accidents

Apple iPhones and Android smartphones continue to soar in popularity. In addition to making phone calls and sending texts, the ability to read email, search the Internet, check Facebook and even play games on the go can make them irresistible. But smartphones can also be a distraction to drivers and car accidents can result.

If you or someone you love has been injured or a loved one has been killed in a distracted driving car accident, contact the Missouri car accident attorneys at The S.E. Farris Law Firm. Call 314-A-LAWYER (314-252-9937) today for a free consultation.

Texting Bans Not Enough

Recently, the Michigan Live Media Group published a series on distracted driving in Michigan. In that series, it was noted that Michigan passed a ban on texting while driving approximately two years ago. And while the ban was a step in the right direction, some say the ban doesn’t go far enough. In addition to texting, some safety advocates assert that all forms of cell phone use should be prohibited.

In the article “Is Michigan’s text messaging ban too narrow to deter cell phone use and distracted driving?” reporter Angela Wittrock notes:

• A Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study concluded that tweeting about bumper-to-bumper traffic is as dangerous as texting about it.
• State Farm surveyed 900 motorists and found that mobile Web service use had increased significantly over the period of two years.
• The State Farm study noted that in 2009, 29 percent of drivers between the ages of 18-29 admitted to accessing the Internet while driving. By 2011, the number increased to 43 percent.

Even if the texting ban were expanded to include other smartphone uses, law enforcement officials note that catching a driver engaging in the prohibited behavior is difficult.  Yet even with the difficulties of detecting the problem, the article notes that since the texting ban was enacted in Michigan, 1,149 drivers had been ticketed.

Distracted Driving Liability

Even when texting bans haven’t been broadened to include other forms of smartphone distractions, distracted driving can still lead to liability if the distraction causes or contribute to an accident.

If you or someone you love has been injured or a loved one has been killed in a distracted driving accident, contact the Missouri auto accident lawyers at The S.E. Farris Law Firm. Call 314-A-LAWYER (314-252-9937) today for a free consultation.

At The S.E. Farris Law Firm, our practice is focused on the needs of injury victims. We guarantee our clients that our dedication is more than just a motto. At the end of your case we measure our success not by the amount of money we have recovered for you but by whether you would give our name to others as good lawyers to have on their side.