Representing Myrtle Beach Injury Victims Injured In Texting While Driving Accidents
Sending a text message by cellphone requires the sender’s visual, manual and cognitive attention. This is why texting while driving is considered to be among the most dangerous forms of distracted driving. Sending or receiving a text message takes a driver’s eyes away from the road ahead for about 4.5 seconds, long enough for a car doing 55 mph to cover 100 yards, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says. This is why NHTSA calls texting while driving “by far the most alarming distraction” that drivers regularly engage in.
Driver’s Negligence
Purposely diverting your eyes from the road to engage in activity not related to driving could be considered a reckless or negligent act.
In South Carolina
As cellphones and other personal electronic devices have become more common, the incidence of distracted driving has grown. NHTSA says there were 3,331 people killed and 387,000 injured in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2011.
The South Carolina Department of Public Safety said in its 2009 Traffic Collision Fact Book (the latest available) that 21 people were killed and 3,723 were injured in distracted driving accidents in South Carolina. The report says driver distraction or inattention was the primary contributing factor in nearly 10 percent of the 99,322 car crashes blamed on the driver in 2009.
Most Dangerous Form Of Distraction
Texting while driving — writing and sending, or receiving and reading a text message while behind the wheel of a moving car — is the most dangerous form of distracted driving recognized as a widespread safety hazard today. Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia banned texting while driving for all drivers as of 2013, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). Five more ban texting while driving by novice (young) drivers.
The accident lawyers of the Maguire Law Firm believe that distracted driving in all of its forms is a reckless and negligent act in most cases. When reckless or negligent driving leads to a car accident, the at-fault driver should be held accountable for any personal injuries or property damage they have caused.
Our Lawyers Are Ready To Help
Serving the South Carolina counties of Horry, Georgetown and Marion, the Myrtle Beach texting-while-driving accident lawyers of the Maguire Law Firm seek justice for car accident victims injured because of the recklessness of distracted drivers.
Contact Us Today!
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a South Carolina car accident attributed to texting while driving, contact us about your legal options. Call the Maguire Law Firm at 843-491-5044.
