Tennessee Injury Lawyer Blog

As many of our blogs have discussed recently, texting while driving is becoming an increasing source of negligence-based accidents on America’s roadways. Recognizing that such activity has become a problem nationwide, the United States Department of Transportation issued a press release today stating that texting while driving is banned nationwide for drivers of commercial vehicles, which includes vehicles such as tractor-trailers, trolleys, and buses. While many states already had some form of this ban, this ban covers commercial vehicles nationwide, and is part of a concentrated effort by the U.S.D.O.T. to combat distracted driving according to the press release.

The press release notes that drivers who text while driving take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, meaning that at a speed of 55 miles per hour they travel more than the length of a football field without looking at the road. The press release also notes that more regulations are likely forthcoming in this area.

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A new study finds that drivers who text while driving are six times more likely to crash than drivers who do not. The study was conducted in a driving simulator and provides evidence that texting while driving is actually more dangerous than talking on a mobile phone while driving and is possibly even more dangerous than driving while intoxicated. The study showed that drivers who texted while driving tended to decrease their minimum following distance while also experiencing delayed reaction times, which is almost certainly a recipe for disaster. Following too closely and hitting the brakes too slowly are two behaviors that constitute negligent driving in Tennessee and will lead to the driver at fault being responsible for any damages caused by the negligent conduct.

The study indicated that reaction time slows by approximately thirty percent when a driver texts while driving. This is apparently primarily due to the fact that the driver has to divert his or her attention back and forth between the tasks of texting and driving and has to take extra time to re-focus his or her attention on the road ahead. Since negligent driving in Tennessee is basically defined as driving in the manner that a reasonably prudent person would drive, it is clear that any activity that both causes the driver to drive less safely and causes the driver to react more slowly than normal would constitute negligent driving. Texting while driving is so dangerous, in fact, that many state legislatures are reportedly considering banning such activity completely.

It may seem shocking that texting while driving can be more dangerous than an activity such as driving under the influence, which is prohibited by law. However, texting while driving requires the driver to completely focus his or her attention elsewhere, if only for a moment, rather than on the road ahead. Such activity will be an increasing source of auto accidents and lawsuits ahead, as over 60% of teens text while driving. It is an extremely dangerous activity that should be avoided whenever possible.

Sources: http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20091221/sc_livescience/driverswhotextaresixtimesmorelikelytocrash