Texting While Driving in Inclement Weather

snowy highway traffic

The attorneys of Mann Wyatt Tanksley Injury Attorneys have seen firsthand how texting while driving causes horrendous accidents. When this unsafe practice is combined with inclement weather, then the situation gets even worse. Texting and driving in bad weather conditions may lead to a higher number of auto accident injuries and fatalities.

Texting while driving takes your eyes off the road longer than any other distracted driving offense,” explains Scott Mann, auto accident attorney. “It involves reading, writing and reacting to a message, which takes at least 5 seconds. If you are driving 55 mph, this means you are not looking at the road for 100 yards.”

At any one time in the U.S., there are 660,000 drivers using a cell phone or electronic device behind the wheel (National Occupant Protection Use Survey). The number one cause of vehicular death for teenagers is actually texting while driving. In a recent report published by the Cohen Children’s Medical Center, texting while driving caused 3,000 teen deaths and 300,000 injuries in 2013.

“Texting while driving is a problem for drivers of all ages,” explains Scott Mann.

“Motorists who text while they drive are just as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than motorists who are driving while intoxicated. When this is combined with inclement weather, the results are even more tragic.”

Drivers have a shorter reaction time when the road is covered in ice, sleet, snow or rain. Stopping, changing lanes, and making a simple turn requires much more concentration in inclement weather. However, drivers who are texting don’t have their eyes on the road, which further decreases their reaction time in bad weather. It results in motorists slamming on their brakes, causing their vehicle to slide out of control —- sometimes into a ditch or oncoming traffic.

Please call the personal injury attorneys of Mann Wyatt Tanksley Injury Attorneys if you have been the victim of a texting driver. Every client is treated like an individual with personalized care. It would be an honor to serve your case!