Pennsylvania Texting & Driving Accidents

Helping Injured Drivers in Carlisle, Hanover, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Schuylkill County & York, PA

Although looking down at your phone while driving may just take a second, a second all it takes for a serious car accident to occur. All distractions endanger the safety of the driver, passengers, and bystanders. Although there are a variety of distractions that can take place while driving, texting is one of the most dangerous. If you or a loved one have suffered injuries because another driver was texting and driving, it is vital to contact our Pennsylvania car accident attorneys at (888) 498-3023.

The Dangers of Texting & Driving in Pennsylvania

According to Distraction.gov, distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger the safety of the driver, passengers, and bystanders. Cell phone use, eating while driving, and texting are all distractions. Adjusting or programming a GPS would certainly be a distraction as well.

Driving distracted is a serious problem across the country, even in Pennsylvania.

Every day, 9 people die, and 1,000+ are injured as a result of a distracted driver. Texting is one of the most dangerous distractions because it involves all three types of distractions: visual distractions, manual distractions, and cognitive distractions. According to a study, drivers that text and drive are 23.2 times more likely to cause an accident than a non-texting driver because texting reduces reaction times by 37%. For comparison, reaction times only fell by 13% when a driver’s BAC was at the legal drinking limit.

Young Adults Are More Likely to Text & Drive

Drivers under the age of 20 have the highest proportion of distraction-related fatal crashes. Per the Centers for Disease Control Prevention, the highest health-risk factors for high school students is texting and driving. Findings show that in 2015, 42% of high school students who drove reported sending a text or email while driving. Students who reported frequent texting while driving were also less likely to wear a seat belt, more likely to ride with a driver who had been drinking, and more likely to drink and drive.

Texting & Driving Restrictions

It is illegal in Pennsylvania to use your cell phone while driving to send or receive texts, emails, or messages of any kind. If a driver is caught using a mobile device for any purpose, the PA Department of Transportation will issue a $50 fine. It is not illegal to make phone calls while driving; however, if a driver does receive a call, they must pull off to the side of the road and use hands-free devices.

Car Accidents Involving Smartwatch Distractions

While smart watches have changed and simplified how we interact with our phones, they're still a distraction for drivers. Today, it is not uncommon to see people swiping their watch’s screen or having a conversation through it. Unfortunately, the more smartwatches can do the more potential they have to distract drivers and cause car accidents.

Drivers in Pennsylvania should avoid the temptation of the gadget of their wrist and face the consequences when they fail to do so and cause a serious accident.

Most Common Types of Car Accident Injuries

Texting while driving can lead to serious or fatal motor vehicle accidents.

Below are some of the most common types of injuries that can occur:

• Neck Injuries: Whiplash can occur when a collision causes the head to suddenly shake, putting pressure on ligaments.
• Broken Bones: Broken bones require emergency care because they may need a cast, surgery, and/or hospitalization.
• Leg & Knee Injuries: Major accidents commonly result in knee or leg injuries. This is usually because the part of the car getting smashed can lead them to suffer cuts, bruises, or broken bones. The knees are especially prone to tearing.
• Concussions: Concussions occurs when the brain is shaken severely into the skull. This can occur when a person hits their head against the window or the steering wheel during a serious collision. This can also lead to severe injuries to the spine, causing chronic pain and even desolation.

Contact Our Pennsylvania Texting & Driving Accident Attorneys

If you or a loved one have suffered injuries by a distracted driver texting or talking on the phone, it is vital to contact an attorney as soon as possible. Texting while driving is dangerous and can lead to serious motor vehicle accidents. We have more than 95 years of collective experience getting people the compensation they deserve for injuries sustained in car crashes. We have won tens of millions of dollars on our clients' behalf. 

Don’t be a victim of someone else’s negligence. Contact our texting and driving accident attorneys today for a free consultation: (888) 498-3023. We have offices in Carlisle, Hanover, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Schuylkill County, and York!