It has been a good news and bad news in terms of future traffic safety for those driving the roads of Mississippi. The good news is that the feds have embarked on an ambitious campaign to combat the dangers posed by distracted driving in the wake of the criminal conviction of a driver who was alleged to have been texting and driving when he was involved in a fatal collision. The bad news is that an offsetting proposed change in the maximum speed limit in Texas may prove more dangerous than drivers using cell phones.
The feds have embarked on a national program to discourage distracted driving which involves a multi-faceted approach to combating this dangerous cause of Mississippi auto accidents. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood is pushing the remaining states that do not have laws restricting cell phone use while driving to enact legislation to prevent this serious hazard. He is also calling on Congress to consider enacting legislation at the federal level restricting cell phone use while driving though the exact framework of the proposed restrictions have not yet been made clear.
The most interesting part of the safety campaign involves implementing a program at a statewide level in California and Delaware that involves aggressive enforcement of cell phone driving laws and other measures that proved effective in Syracuse, N.Y. and Hartford, Conn. when tested on a citywide basis. The program generated a 72 percent reduction in texting while driving in Hartford and a 32 percent reduction in Syracuse. California and Delaware will be receiving $2.4 million in federal funds to implement the measures intended to reduce texting while driving.
The unveiling of a campaign to curtail texting and driving should be cause for excitement but develops in Texas may this mute excitement. Texas is considering becoming the first state in the nation to allow drivers to legally drive 85 mph on stretches of roadway in the state. Because most drivers exceed the speed limit by approximately five mph with immunity on a regular basis, this would mean that Texas drivers could soon be flying down a toll road between Austin and San Antonio at 90 mph. While only Texas and Utah currently have posted speed limits of 80 mph, the upward trend in maximum speed limits could be mirrored by other states.
The bottom line is that at higher rates of speed there would be more Mississippi auto accidents. Further, a collision at 90 mph creates a high risk of catastrophic injuries and fatalities. The force imposed on the bodies of vehicle occupants increases exponentially in direct relationship to increased speed. If the state decides to follow through on this proposal, it would have the second highest posted speed limit in the world. There are a certain roads in Poland that have posted speed limits of 86 mph.
Because we are firm advocates of driver safety, our experienced team of Mississippi car accident attorneys at Barrett Law embraces the current attempts to reduce distracted driving but hope they will not be accompanied with a movement toward increased speed limits. If you or someone you love has been injured in a Mississippi car accident or a loved one has died in a collision caused by a speeding driver, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and loss. At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi. Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.