Texting and Driving – IT CAN WAIT!
How many times a day do you pick up your phone while you’re driving to read or send a text? Can you honestly say that you have never once been guilty of doing this?
No, you cannot. The ugly truth is that most of us, if not all of us who operate a vehicle on a daily basis have at some point been guilty of texting while driving.
Texting and Driving Has to Stop
According to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, the #1 Traffic Safety Law for visitors of Tennessee is TCA 55-8-199 which says plain and simple that texting while driving a vehicle is illegal.
With that being said, it has to stop. Texting and driving is one of the most dangerous and distracting things that a driver can do while behind the wheel. More than half of my cases are from individuals who have been hit by drivers that were texting and as result, weren’t paying attention to what was in front of them.
If people stopped this insanity, I would stand to lose a good amount of business. However, people would no longer be getting hurt due to this nonsense and the roads made safer, and I would be just fine with that.
This has been a growing concern now, more than ever. Yes, I am a personal injury lawyer but first and foremost, I am a father of two teenaged drivers. We all have to take an initiative and together make the roads safer for everyone, one day and one driver at a time.
I Challenge You to Break Your Texting and Driving Habits
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security does research each year to note the number of car crashes in the state that were linked to distracted drivers (texting being one of those distractions) and this year (2015) that number is at 4,633.
Therefore, I challenge you to break your bad habits by following these simple safety tips:
- Turn your phone off once you get in the car to avoid being distracted by an incoming call or text. Alternatively, install blue tooth or some other hands free device.
- Put your phone in the back seat of the car when driving. That way it is completely out of your reach and you won’t be tempted to grab it. However, please, under no circumstances decide it would be a good idea to reach into the back seat to get your phone.
- If there is someone you are communicating with before you get in your car, let them know prior to driving that you are on the road and not to text you. Also, set up an automated message to anyone who texts while you’re driving. Inform them that you’ll respond once you’re off the road.
Hopefully, these tips will help us all start moving in the right direction and make the roads safer for everyone.