Accidents Due to Distracted Driving

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Have You Been Injured in an Accident With a Driver on Their Cell Phone, Texting or Otherwise Distracted?

The number of advertisements that exist nowadays that warn of the dangers of texting and driving cannot be overstated. It is a real threat on the roads today considering the rampant use of text messaging as a means of communication between adolescents and adults alike. Driving through school zones and being caught mid-text can cost you fines of $200.00. This is all in response to the proliferation of accidents that occur because of the fact that one of the parties was texting while operating a motor vehicle. You cannot read a book while driving, which begs the question- how could you read a text? This article will discuss the current regulations against texting while driving in the State of Texas in greater depth. You may be surprised to learn that while Texas does have some rules against this, they have not put a ban on it entirely.

What are the Current Laws Against Texting in Texas?

The current laws against texting in the state of Texas are briefly discussed below:

Any driver that is under the age of 18 is prohibited to use any wireless communication devices while driving a car.

If you have only a learner’s permit you cannot use a handheld cellular telephone during your first 6 months of driving.

School bus drivers cannot use cellular telephones while driving buses if there are children present.

Drivers may not use handheld cell phones while they are in school crossing zones.

Specific cities in Texas that have taken matters into their own hands and enacted local distracted driving laws are: Austin, Amarillo, El Paso, The Canyon, Stephenville, San Antonio, Galveston, Missouri City, and Dallas.

What is the Progression of the Laws Against Texting in Texas?

In past years, the then Governor Rick Perry opted to veto the legislature’s proposition to ban text messaging for all of the drivers on the road. This is a cause for concern because of the fact that a lot of accidents that occur on Texas roads today happen because of inattentive drivers who are more concerned with communicating via text on their smartphone than paying attention to the road and other vehicles.

A past news article explained that the entire legislature did not meet in 2012 to return in the year 2013. Shockingly, at that time, Texas was one of only eleven states that did not have a ban on text messaging imposed on every driver on the road. When Perry explained the reasoning behind his decision to refuse to implement the ban he stated that he believed the law to be some form of an effort to try to micromanage the behavior of adults. However, what about the laws directed specifically at teenagers? This has spurred some debate as to whether the age of the driver may play a pivotal role in what determines whether or not the ban should be imposed. In addition, does it not seem difficult to enforce a law that is directed at age rather than a blanket rule?

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Perry vetoed this law on June 17th of 2011. Had he decided in the alternative it would have been in effect by September of 2011. Moreover, Perry stated that the key to persuading drivers of all ages to quit texting while operating motor vehicles was to inform and educate them on the potential dangers of this activity when he made his veto statement. Perry was mid-campaign during this statement as a United States presidential candidate.

Finally, in 2017, the Texas Legislature passed a statewide ban on using a wireless communications device for electronic messaging while operating a motor vehicle. Texting, as well as reading or writing email, is prohibited while driving in Texas. … If you must make a phone call or send a text, pull over.

If you or a loved one has been injured because of a distracted driver that was texting and inattentive, the attorneys at our law office can offer experienced legal counsel that can aid you in making sure that you recover for your loss. This is a developing area of the law and our attorneys stay on top of any developments in an effort to make sure we can provide you with the better legal representation possible. Contact us.