Driving While Distracted Must Stop Says Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyer
Dec 4, 2011
Atlanta, GA (Law Firm Newswire) December 2, 2011 – Driving while distracted is taking far too many lives. It is not necessary to text or talk and drive at the same time.
“We never used to have cell phones in vehicles, and we always got to where we were going, where there was a phone, and if we needed to use it, we did,” commented Robert Webb, an Atlanta personal injury lawyer with Webb & D’Orazio, a law firm specializing in personal injury, malpractice, criminal defense, and business law. “We paid attention to the road and others traveling around us. These days, if you see someone actually watching where they are going when they are driving, it is almost a shock.”
What people do not seem to comprehend is that the minute they take their eyes off the road and what others are doing around them, they have lost control of their vehicle. It only takes a split second of inattention to ram into a truck, run off the road and roll a vehicle, veer over into the oncoming lane of traffic or drift in front of a car trying to pass. Any one of these situations, and a whole host of other scenarios, has the potential to seriously injure or kill.
The baffling thing is why people seem to feel the need to be constantly plugged into various social networks or groups that send a constant stream of chit chat to electronic devices. “Is it really important that a trucker, bus driver, train driver or other vehicle driver knows who is trending on Twitter, what his or her significant other is planning for dinner or tell jokes? Most of this kind of social interaction can wait until the person gets to a computer and logs in. People don’t need to be texting while driving. Nothing but grief comes from that,” added Webb.
The good news is that the National Transportation Safety Board has recently called for more action to reduce distracted driving, and to that end, they have come out with the recommendation that all commercial drivers be forbidden to use cell phones while driving. While this is not rocket science, it is a step in the right direction, since those who use cell phones while driving obviously do not have their own or other’s safety in mind.
Further good news to build on for the future indicates that there are already close to 1,600 companies nationwide with distracted driving policies – a move that covers about 10.5 million workers. Over the course of 2011, another 550 organizations will adopt those same policies, adding another 1.5 million to the list who make it forbidden to use a cell phone while behind the wheel.
“It’s hard to comprehend why truckers transporting hazardous materials would text while driving, but it has been done with disastrous consequences,” Webb observed. “Engineers on trains, big rig drivers and bus drivers have been caught using their cellphones – usually after a crash. Banning distracted driving is a start. Whether or not the people doing it will follow those prohibitions is another matter altogether.”
“If you have been in an accident with a commercial vehicle, bus or train, give our office a call and we can explain what legal options you have,” said Webb. “These cases are typically very difficult for plaintiffs, as many have debilitating injuries. Our office is committed to ensuring you get justice and the compensation you deserve.”
Webb & D’Orazio are Atlanta personal injury attorneys practicing personal injury law, business law, and criminal defense in Atlanta, Georgia. To learn more, visit http://www.webbdorazio.com.
Webb & D’Orazio
2551 Roswell Road
Suite 201
Marietta, GA 30062
Call: (800) 275-9144
