The increasing prominence and popularity of cell phones in recent years, especially amongst teenagers, has increased the risk and frequency of distracted driving accidents in Indiana and nationwide. In an effort to decrease distracted driving accidents, many states have implemented cell phone bans that prohibit use of a hand-held cell phone while driving. Although initial bans concerned the use of a hand-held cell phone to talk and drive, laws that banned texting while driving soon followed; and now, according to the Governor’s Highway Safety Administration (GHSA), Indiana joins its fellow states in banning texting while driving.
On May 10, Indiana became the 32nd state to ban texting while driving for all drivers, Washington State having been the first in May 2007. The new law considers texting while driving a primary enforcement, which means Indiana law enforcement officers can cite a driver on texting while driving alone, without the presence of another traffic violation. Texting while driving is considered a Class C misdemeanor and drivers caught texting while driving may pay a fine of up to $500, with harsher penalties for repeat offenders or if they cause injury to another person. The law will take effect on July 1st.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 20 percent of injury auto accidents in 2009 involved distracted driving. Cell phone use contributed to 995 distracted driving accident fatalities in the same year. Indiana has taken an important step in preventing distracted driving accidents. It is the hope that the remainder of the nation’s 50 states follow suit.
Indiana’s anti-texting while driving law may extend its bounds to include all motorists, not just drivers under 18 years of age, according to NBC news affiliate WTHR Indianapolis. Senator Travis Holdman, who was the author of the original law, wants to create a statewide ban on texting while driving in order to prevent distracted driving car accidents. The president of AT&T in Indiana supports the bill, because “People are dying because people are texting while driving. That’s the biggest reason.”
Many Indiana residents are happy with the possibility of a statewide ban on the use of all handheld communication devices while driving. Distracted driving has become one of the most common causes of car accidents in Indiana and across the United States, and more states are taking anti-texting and driving laws seriously. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 2009 saw 5,474 fatalities and another 448,000 injuries due to distracted driving accidents. Statistics show that motorists who text and drive are 23 times more likely to be involved in a car crash as well.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a car crash in Indiana and you believe that distracted driving contributed to the accident and your subsequent injuries, it is advisable you get in touch with qualified Indianapolis auto accident injury attorney Randy Sevenish. As founder of The Sevenish Law Firm, P.C., Mr. Sevenish has the experience and resources that are needed to properly investigate your car accident and build a strong case on your behalf so that you are compensated fairly. Negligent parties must be held accountable for their actions. To learn more about how Mr. Sevenish can help you and your situation, call 1-800-347-4611 today. Initial consultations are free.
The Governor’s Highway Safety Association held its annual meetings in Kansas City from September 26 through September 29. There were 550 highway safety professionals from across the country in attendance. The theme of the meetings was Technology & Highway Safety: What’s Driving Our Future which focused on the pros and cons of technology and how it relates to driver safety and reducing the numbers of injuries and deaths on America’s roadways.
Workshops and general sessions featured speakers from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, and other highway safety agencies. NHTSA Administrator David Strickland discussed driver distraction, and announced that for the first half of 2010, fatalities had decreased by 9.2 percent and also that the national seatbelt use rate was at a record setting 85 percent. Additionally, the President of the IIHS, Adrian Lund, reviewed new research pertaining to the effectiveness of traffic laws and AAA Foundation President Peter Kissinger talked about the importance of developing a traffic safety culture.
Ultimately, while there are still many motorists on the road in Indiana who may not practice safe driving habits, there is a growing trend of more drivers realizing that it is their responsibility to ensure their own safety as well as that of other motorists. Safe driving practices such as not texting while driving, not driving aggressively and obeying all traffic laws and regulations can help prevent car accidents in Indiana and nationwide.
If you find yourself in a situation where you are injured in Indiana because of another driver’s negligence, you have legal options. As a skilled Indiana car crash attorney at the Sevenish Law Firm, P.C., Mr. Sevenish has years of experience handling various personal injury cases including car accidents, motorcycle crashes, catastrophic injuries and a plethora of other personal injury cases. To learn more about how Mr. Sevenish and his legal staff can help you, please call 800-347-4611. Mr. Sevenish offers free and confidential consultations.
