If you are a parent of a child old enough to own a cell phone or iPod, you probably have experienced the frustration of trying to get your child’s attention as they stare at their electronic device and type frantically with their thumbs. You repeat yourself several times and finally give up knowing your child has disappeared into the teen world of texting. Unfortunately, the teen obsession with texting goes from being frustrating to extremely dangerous when a teen driver continues this practice behind the wheel of the family car. Car accidents remain the leading cause of fatalities for teenage drivers.
The problem is increasing with the growing danger of teen texting while driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicates that of teenagers who text as many as one in three indicates they have done so while driving. If you have been seriously injured or have lost a loved one in a car accident in a Mississippi teen texting accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your loss. Our experienced Mississippi auto accident law firm can provide an initial evaluation of your case.
Teen drivers who are involved in texting while driving are distracted mentally, physically and visually. According to the NHTSA, distracted driving accounts for 16 percent of all car accident fatalities and 20 percent of all auto accident related injuries. A serious motor vehicle accident is often the result of being only slightly delayed in responding to a road hazard that requires one to brake or swerve. Texting while driving may distract a driver’s attention from the road for as long as five seconds at a time. A study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study found texting while driving increases the risk of being involved in a car crash as much as 23 times.
Texting and driving is rapidly becoming one of the most dangerous distracted driving practices. Teenagers who text and drive increase the risk inherent in texting while driving because of their inexperience. Mississippi legislators recognize this increased risk and have passed legislation prohibiting texting while driving by inexperienced teen drivers. A recent survey of teenagers revealed that even legislation and education aimed at helping teenagers understand the risk associated with texting while driving does not seem to be making significant progress. The survey revealed that while 84 percent of teens were aware of the danger posed by distracted driving 86 percent of teens admit to engaging in such behavior.
Some parents are taking proactive measures to protect their children from being involved in a serious texting while driving accident. Some parents monitor their children’s phone use and compare records of cell phone use with times a teenager is driving. A number of parents are even having technology installed in their vehicle that will disable a cell phone when the car is moving. We can only hope that as parents become more proactive, these steps will succeed where Mississippi’s anti-texting law and public service campaigns have been less than an enthusiastic success. Distracted driving accidents related to texting while driving will continue to cause catastrophic injuries and fatalities. Our experienced Mississippi distracted driving attorneys represent clients throughout the state who are involved in serious motor vehicle accidents. If you have been injured or loved one has been killed, our experienced Mississippi car accident attorneys will advise you of your rights and provide an initial case evaluation.