For awhile now, all sorts of people have been talking up the dangers inherent in texting while driving. Yet, for all the hard work some people do to bring awareness to this cause, people continue to distract themselves by texting on their phones. Now, though, comes a study that might prove a bit more effective in curbing texting, because it purports to illustrate how texting while driving can actually hurt your wallet.
Insurance companies, apparently fed up with the number of accidents occurring due to texting, are raising premiums on offenders. This is according to a study done by a leading insurance quotes website, which also found that nearly 10% of drivers nationwide text while behind the wheel.
These aren’t the only measures insurance companies are seeking to put into place. There’s even talk of creating a text-blocking app or installing a device on a car that would block all cell phone’s signal while in motion.
As a San Francisco car accident lawyer, I’ve seen firsthand how prevalent an issue texting while driving is. Perhaps raising insurance rates on those who make the mistake is the best way to keep peoples’ eyes on the road. To a car accident lawyer in San Francisco like me, this seems like an idea that just might work.
The LAPD is deliberating whether or not to investigate traffic accidents involving an officer in the same way they would approach an officer-involved shooting. Such a move would involve separating the officers after the incident, and having investigators look into each individual case to determine wrongdoing.
The LA Times reported on the story, which throws some light onto a pretty big issue. Because there are so many accidents involving police (an average of one per day over the last three years), officials implemented a points system to better evaluate officers involved in accidents. Internal affairs investigations, which had been the norm up to 2008, became a drain on IA resources.
The points system, which assigns a certain number of points based on the seriousness of the wrongdoing of the officer, appears to have curtailed the number of accidents. There was a decline between 2009 and 2011 in the number of crashes, but the number of lawsuits related to these accidents remains large. 205 lawsuits were filed in that same three year period, 40% more than the three years before the plan went into effect.
The cost to the department of the lawsuits is staggering. 1,900 lawsuits have been brought against the LAPD since 2002, and a quarter of those are from victims of crashes. $138 million was paid out due to lawsuits brought against the police department, more than the number of lawsuits brought against every other city department combined.
As a Los Angeles car accident attorney, it’s clear to me that there’s still a problem. It’s nice to see the number of accidents decline, but officers who disobey traffic laws and injure bystanders must still be held accountable. That’s why it’s so important to seek a great personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles if you’re ever involved in such an accident. It’s good to know you’ll always have someone in your corner.
According to news sources, a ban on truckers using hand-held cell phone devices while behind the wheel, initiated by The U.S. Department of Transportation, is about to begin next week and truckers can expect heavy fines if found in violation of the new ban.
Truckers can expect steep fines if they are found in violation of the new ban, with federal civil penalties expected to average about $2,750 for each offense. Although hand-free devices such as bluetooth enabled head sets will continue to be allowed, the ban covers everything from dialing, holding or even reaching out for cellphones.
Truckers may also risk losing their commercial license if they are found to have multiple offenses, while companies that allow their drivers to use hand-held devices while driving could potentially face an $11,000 fine.
As a personal injury lawyer Riverside, I have seen many instances of distracted driving cause severe devastation both to those who participate in activities such as texting while driving, as well as those who are victims of crashes caused by distracted drivers. As a Riverside car accident attorney, I encourage you to put away your phone when you drive, or invest in a hands-free device that will allow you to communicate legally.
According to news sources, The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a group funded by auto insurers, is questioning the effectiveness of bans restricting the use of hand held devices while driving. The argument is in direct contrast to recent recommendations by the National Transportation Safety Board to ban cell phone use while driving across the country.
The Institute claims to have studied data from both states that have implemented cell phone bans while driving as well as states with no such bans. The result, the group says, is cell phone use while driving actually decreases in states with such bans. However there did not appear to be any actual reduction in the number of crashes.
The NTSB has found that about 3,000 fatalities occur on the roadways each year due to distracted driving. It is unclear how many can be attributed to cell phone use however.
The NTSB is on the opposite end of the argument and recommends a three part approach to tackling the problem, namely increased enforcement, increased education and strengthening of the laws.
As a Los Angeles personal injury attorney, I know that distracted driving accidents are on the rise. I hope that by providing this information, motorists are able to stay safe on our roads. If you’ve were injured in an accident that you think was the result of the distracted driving of another, contact a Los Angeles car accident attorney to learn about the legal options open to you.
According to news sources, the state of Indiana is struggling to enforce its newly implemented ban on texting while driving, with police blaming the difficulty on how the law was drafted and written.
The ban went into effect July 1, 2011, stating that it was against the law for drivers to use any sort of hand-held device for the purpose of transmitting, reading or writing while behind the wheel of a moving car. However, by December 9, the law only resulted in 46 citations and 40 warnings in the whole state during the period of its enforcement, with some cities such as Muncie failing to issue a single citation.
Officials blame how the law is written, since officers are not permitted to confiscate cellphone devices of motorists being prosecuted for violating the ban.
As a Los Angeles personal injury attorney, I have seen many instances of distracted driving cause severe devastation both to those who participate in activities such as texting while driving, as well as those who are victims of crashes caused by distracted drivers. As a car accident lawyer Los Angeles, I encourage you to put away your phone when you drive, or invest in a hands-free device that will allow you to communicate legally.
According to news sources, the number of DUI related deaths in California has decreased to record levels as law enforcement in the state continues to successfully crack down on the illegal practice.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that DUI related deaths decreased to record levels not seen in the past 14 years. The numbers released today illustrate the continuing trend of decreased deaths resulting from DUI, which began to decrease every year since 2005.
The state has reportedly set up a record number of DUI checkpoints, around 2,553 in 2010, that have been instrumental in contributing to the record decrease in DUI deaths. Awareness campaigns coordinated by the different police departments around the state along with the California Highway Patrol have also contributed to the decrease in the number.
About 88 percent of Californians reportedly support the deployment of DUI checkpoints.
As a personal injury lawyer Los Angeles, I urge you not to get behind the wheel if you’ve been drinking, as often the consequences to you, your loved ones, and to those around you can be much more serious than a DUI. If you have been injured in a car accident at the fault of someone else, contact a car accident lawyer Los Angeles to help you as soon as possible.
According to news sources, the National Transportation Safety Board has issued a recommendation to ban all cell phone usage while driving nationwide, in an attempt to clamp down on increasing cases of distracted driving related accident fatalities attributed to cell phone usage.
The recommendation was agreed to unanimously by the boards five member panel, although the NTSB can not effectively implement such restrictions on its own. However, lawmakers and federal regulators do take its recommendations very seriously.
Although states continue to pass legislation essentially banning certain activities such as texting while driving, the recommendation goes beyond the limited scope of existing state laws that target driver cell phone use. Essentially, it would ban the usage of any kind of portable electronic device for those behind the wheel, except in cases of emergency.
As a Los Angeles personal injury attorney, I find this information beneficial to motorists and pedestrians alike. I have seen many instances of distracted driving cause severe devastation both to those who participate in activities such as texting while driving, as well as those who are victims of crashes caused by distracted drivers. As a Los Angeles car accident lawyer, I hope that the conclusions of this campaign will lead to safer roads.
According to news sources, a ruling made by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently will soon take effect on January 3, 2012 and reportedly prohibit the use of hand held cell phone devices by commercial drivers while operating trucks.
The new law stipulates that commercial truck drivers will face disciplinary actions if they operate a truck with one hand with the other holding a cell phone device. Each offense will now be added as a traffic violation, meaning that if a single driver incurs several then their drivers license may be revoked. Each offense may result in a federal civil penalty up to $2,750.
The new law would also fine bus and commercial truck companies that allow their drivers to remain using hand held devices while behind the wheel.
An earlier ruling in September 2010 banned commercial truck drivers from texting while driving.
As a Los Angeles personal injury attorney, I have seen many instances of distracted driving cause severe devastation both to those who participate in activities such as texting while driving, as well as those who are victims of crashes caused by distracted drivers. As a truck accident attorney Los Angeles, I hope that the conclusions of this research will lead to safer roads.
According to news sources, a new study released by the National Traffic Safety Administration Thursday claims that there was a significant increase in the amount of drivers that texted or sent emails while behind the wheel despite efforts by states across the country to reign in on the practice.
The study employed multiple methods to reach its conclusions such as reportedly observing drivers at designated stop lights and intersections as well as conducting a national phone survey.
The NHTSA study concluded that an increase from 0.6 to 0.9 percent of drivers were using some form of hand-held device while behind the wheel. The survey also found that among 21 to 24 year old drivers, about half said that they had texted while driving before.
This comes as states nationwide are trying to enforce laws against texting while behind the wheel, with Pennsylvania most recently joining the ranks of states that have a ban on texting while driving. States with similar bans on the practice reportedly experienced a significant dip in cases of texting while driving.
As a personal injury lawyer Los Angeles, I have seen many instances of distracted driving cause severe devastation both to those who participate in activities such as texting while driving, as well as those who are victims of crashes caused by distracted drivers. As a Los Angeles personal injury attorney, I hope that the conclusions of this research will lead to safer roads.
According to news sources, Helena began implementing new measures aimed towards distracted driving Wednesday with a “distracted driving” ordinance being set in place that would allow Helena police to pull over people deemed as violating the law.
The ban mostly revolves around prohibiting motorists from using cell phones when behind the wheel, yet there are a few additional details included that are also of importance. Only law enforcement officers, along with those attempting to make 911 calls, will now be able to use cell phones while driving. Otherwise, hands free devices utilizing Bluetooth headsets will be mandatory if cell phone usage is desired while driving.
Fines for offenders will be capped at $100, yet the offense is reportedly not one that will be recorded to a drivers driving record.
The city has also announced that signs will be posted on the roadways to ensure that drivers are aware of the new changes to the law.
As a Los Angeles personal injury attorney, I have seen many instances of distracted driving cause severe devastation both to those who participate in activities such as texting while driving, as well as those who are victims of crashes caused by distracted drivers. As a car accident lawyer Los Angeles, I encourage you to put away your phone when you drive, or invest in a hands-free device that will allow you to communicate legally.
