Driving while Intexicated

Many people today use text messaging over phone calls to communicate with one another. While texting can save you from small talk, awkward pauses in conversation and has the capability of getting straight to the point, texting can also cost you your life or the life of another. According to textinganddrivingsafety.com, in 2011, at least 23% of auto collisions involved cell phones. It is estimated that texting while driving makes an accident 23 more times likely! Due to the rising number of accidents resulting in part from texting and driving, many states have made it illegal to text and drive. Washington was the first state to pass a law banning texting and driving. Today, the majority of states have laws banning texting and driving.

Much of the media has put out the message that a text can wait and I can totally agree with that. Texting and driving is most common amongst young adults. Just recently, Socastee High School students took a pledge not to text and drive. You hear the stories and you may even witness an accident that resulted from texting and driving but can you imagine your child being the cause of the accident or the victim of the accident?

Texting is not the only distraction that a phone brings, many people surf the web while they are driving or post to their social media sites. The bottom line is, every driver owes a duty of care to act as a prudent careful driver. The law states you must use reasonable care in operating a motor vehicle. If you or your loved one was injured due to the carelessness of another driver, then contact Daniel Selwa today. Act quickly by contacting your local attorney so that the careless driver does not make the same mistake of texting and driving twice.

The Dangers and Consequences of Texting and Driving

You’ve probably heard one or more of these catch phrases,  “if you want to survive, don’t text and drive,” “don’t tempt fate, that text can wait”,  “don’t drive inTEXTicated”, and “friends don’t let friends text and drive.” Although it is still a national concern, drunk driving seems to have taken a back seat to texting and driving. Recent reports and statistics have caused the focus to shift from drunk driving to texting and driving.  Many cell phone providers have included features that now allow you to communicate your text by talking the text which results in the phone typing and sending the text message for you. Media outlets including radio and television constantly run segment on the dangers of texting and driving. According to recent reports, someone is injured or killed once in every 5 minutes on average in a crash that involves texting and driving.

Many states have now adopted laws that ban text messaging while driving. Currently, Columbia, the capital of South Carolina does have a ban in place for texting and driving but the state of South Carolina is not currently a state that bans text messaging while driving. However, it may soon join the growing list of states that bans text messaging while driving. A review of the proposed bill that will ban texting and driving is available at: http://www.distracteddrivinghelp.com/south-carolina-texting-laws.

Recently, the Department of Transportation and the Federal Communications Commission along with over 140 other organizations joined forces to halt texting while driving.  The WMBF news article listed explains this national movement: http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/19581108/the-dot-and-fcc-join-att-to-call-for-a-national-movement-to-halt-texting-while-driving.

Have you or someone you know been injured by someone who was texting and driving? Join the national movement and do your part by discussing your case with attorney Daniel Selwa. Although texting and driving is not yet banned across the state of South Carolina, South Carolina does recognize actions at law that will allow you to recover for your loss.