Do you text while you drive? On June 4, 2010, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue signed into law Senate Bill 360. This law makes it illegal for anyone, of any age, to text while they are driving. This includes reading texts messages, checking e-mail, or any or text related activities. Law enforcement began to enforce the new texting ban on July 1, 2010. Anyone caught texting while driving will have to pay a fine.
Texting while driving is a very dangerous activity to be doing while driving a motor vehicle. Studies have shown that texting reduces the drivers reaction time by approximately 35%. Typically, when you text while driving, you remove your eyes from the road for about 5 seconds. On the highway, this means that you have driven approximately 100 yards without watching where you are going. Research has even shown that texting while driving is more dangerous than driving while under the influence of alcohol.
Texting while driving has been determined to be a contributing factor in many motor vehicle accidents. The National Safety Council has estimated that texting while driving is responsible for nearly 18% of car accidents in the United States each year. Almost all of those accidents could have been prevented if the driver had not been texting while driving. Many of those accidents were the cause of serious bodily injury and/or property damage.
If you or someone you know has been injured in an automobile accident because the other driver was texting, you may be able to recover the damages caused to you or your property. Dont settle for less than you deserve. Call McGahren, Gaskill & York, LLC to schedule a consultation.