Texting and driving has become a huge problem in many states, especially Texas where people drive all the time and often have long commutes to work. It seems rather obvious that texting and driving is dangerous - simply put, it takes your focus off the road and on your phone. If you have been injured in an auto accident caused by a distracted driver, you should seek the advice of a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer.
According to researchers from the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Ft. Worth, texting behind the wheel accounted for 16,141 deaths between 2002 and 2007. Although there isn't a scientific study to tell us how many car accidents in DFW are caused by texting and driving, anecdotal evidence tells us it does cause auto wrecks in the Metroplex.
What are the laws on texting and driving in Texas?
As of March 2011, texting and driving is legal in Texas except for drivers under the age of 18 and any driver going through a school zone. All school bus drivers are prohibited from using cell phones if any children are on their bus.
Cell phone laws aren't as strict in Texas as they are in other states. Nine states and the District of Columbia now ban hand-held cell phone use and 30 states ban texting and driving. Texas is one of the largest, most populated states without a ban on hand-held cell phone use, but proposed legislation against texting and driving is gaining steam in Austin.
State Representative, Tom Craddick, introduced House Bill 243 in March 2011 that would ban texting for all drivers of motor vehicles in Texas.
Many cities in Texas already ban texting and driving. San Antonio, El Paso, Galveston, McAllen, Alvin and Stephenville all ban texting and driving within city limits. Your city may be on the list soon because more and more motorists in Texas are viewing cell phone use and texting while driving as a major concern.
Text messaging and cell phone use while driving are bigger problems than five years ago, according to a fall 2010 study by the Texas Transportation Institute. Of the drivers interviewed, 85 percent said text messaging was worse, while 80 percent agreed that cell phone use had become a bigger problem than a half decade ago.
Texting and driving causes car accidents and personal injuries. Until there is legislation banning texting and driving, remember to be a defensive driver and look out for distracted motorists around you who are messing on their phone. If you are tempted to text and drive, remind yourself that one text is not worth your life.
If you have been injured in a car accident or automobile accident, pease contact the Law Office of James D. Schull at 817-249-5300 for a free consultation.
