It is a small thing to ask: for other drivers to put away their phones when they drive, since their lives and yours are both at stake. However, it is too tall of an ask to make, apparently, as more and more American and Arkansas drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists are killed at the hands of distracted phone-users. If you were injured by a distracted driver, whether they were on their phone or not, an experienced traffic collision attorney will get to the bottom of how the crash happened and who should be held accountable.
Cell Phones: A Growing and Deadly Problem on Arkansas Roads
According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) survey, 660,000 drivers use cell phones or manipulate an electronic device while driving at any given moment during the day. Unfortunately, this survey was taken in 2010 and 2011, and as we are all well aware, technology usage trends have only skyrocketed in the last five to six years, meaning that this number, in reality, is most likely already much higher. In fact, at the beginning of 2010, only 80 percent of the U.S. adult population owned a cell phone. By the end of 2016, that number was at 95 percent, according to the Pew Research Center.
Texting While Driving is Unlawful in Arkansas, But More is Needed to Make an Impact
All Arkansas drivers are prohibited from texting while driving; drivers between the ages of 18-20 are not allowed to use hand-held cell phones, and those under 18 are not allowed to use a cell phone at all while behind the wheel. However, this crime carries a small fine and is rarely enforced, so the law has done little to thwart distracted driving in the state. Arkansas, like many other states, has also made attempts to change the minds of drivers who text while driving, though to little degree. Social campaigns have completely failed at reducing the injuries and fatalities caused by careless and reckless drivers who pay more attention to their phones than the other cars on the road. There is a bill in New York to give law enforcement officers a device called a Textalyzer, which would be able to show whether a driver involved in a crash had been using their phone illegally during the time of the crash, according to the New York Times. This device, and the authority to force drivers to hand over their phones at the scene of a crash, could prove to be a valuable tool, as issuing subpoenas for cell phone records is rarely effective in any state.
Do Not Hesitate to Call an Experienced and Established Jonesboro, Arkansas Lawyer Today
Whether you were hit from behind while stopped at a light, side-swept by a driver who was unable to maintain a straight line driving down the highway, or T-boned in an intersection by a driver with their head pointed at their lap instead of the road, you are entitled to seek compensation for your injuries, pain and suffering, and other financial losses. Call Wells & Wells in Jonesboro today at 870.782.4084. Our attorneys will help you throughout each step of your case.
https://www.transportation.gov/
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/28/science/driving-texting-safety-textalyzer.html