- July 15, 2019
People tend to think that texting and driving is the only kind of distraction. That’s not true. There are several types of distracted driving that causes accidents every day in Louisiana. While some of these do involve cell phones, there are other common causes of distracted driving.
While it’s not the only type of distraction, texting and driving is the biggest cause for crashes. The National Safety Council reports that 26% of all car crashes involve a driver who was talking or texting on their cell phones.
When you add this to the number of people who use other handheld devices, it’s almost an epidemic. Thousands of people die in distracted driving accidents. This is why so many Louisiana car accident lawyers have experience handling these types of cases.
Despite the efforts by law enforcement agencies to curb distracted driving, the numbers continue to ride. People seem to be unable to go even a few minutes without checking their cell phone or device. This means they’re likely doing this at some point while behind the wheel.
Why Are People So Addicted to their Cell Phones?
People spend more time online than they do watching television. People seem to maintain better relationships on social media than they do in real life. Between Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, it almost seems as if it’s a full-time job to keep up to it.
This doesn’t change just because someone’s driving. In a recent poll, over 80% of all drivers admitted to texting and driving at least three times in the past week. And, for the other 20%, who knows if they were telling the truth.
When people text and drive, or do anything else on their cell phones, they can’t pay attention to the road. Taking your eyes off the road for just a few seconds is like driving the length of a football field blindfolded. This is why it’s so dangerous. Anything can happen in that short period of time.
Texting and Driving Statistics in Louisiana
According to the Louisiana Highway Safety Plan, drivers under the age of 25 are the most likely to text and drive. The next closest age group are people 25 to 34 years old. Since these also tend to be the least inexperienced drivers, it can be a lethal combination.
About one-third of all young drivers send or receive a text message or email while they’re driving. This leads to about 420,000 accidents in Louisiana every year. And, people using a handheld device while driving are six (6) times more likely to get into a crash.
This is why the laws against texting and driving in Louisiana are so strict.
What is the Texting and Driving Laws in Louisiana?
In Louisiana, there is a ban on all texting and use of cell phones while driving. The laws are even more strict for bus drivers and newer drivers. Only experienced drivers are allowed to use hands-free phones to talk on the phone. Nobody is allowed to text or receive messages while driving.
It’s against the law to talk on a cell-phone in a school zone as well. While school is open, you’re not allowed to use your cell phone at all while behind the wheel.
Louisiana considers any use of handheld devices to be against the law. They consider social media messages, comments, and posts as being the same as a text message. This means it’s illegal to interact on social media while you’re driving.
If you’re caught violating the distracted driving laws in Louisiana, you will be subjected to fines. The fines start out at $175 and go as high as $500. The laws may need to become even more strict if the number of distracted driving accidents doesn’t go down.
Contact an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer in Louisiana
If you get hit by someone who was texting and driving, you need to call an accident lawyer in Louisiana. Your lawyer can review your case and let you know what it may be worth. They can also answer any questions you may have.
Call today and schedule your initial consultation. It’s absolutely free and you pay nothing until you settle your case. If the other driver chose to drive while distracted, you shouldn’t be the one to pay.
Although it’s not easy to prove the other driver was distracted if they’re issued a citation for texting and driving it will help your case. Let an experienced attorney at Louisiana Injury Lawyers help get you the justice you deserve.
