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With mobile technology advancing at a rapid pace, distracted driving occurrences continue to climb alongside it, threatening the safety of drivers everywhere. Because driver distraction is responsible for the injuries and deaths of thousands of people each year, the state of Washington has passed strict distracted driving laws. These laws are intended to keep our roads safe and hold negligent motorists accountable for their actions.
Every person with a Washington drivers license is required to drive responsibly, putting safety first. Drivers who choose to focus their attention on their mobile devices—or anything other than driving—must be held responsible for the accidents and injuries they cause. A Spokane distracted driving accident lawyer from Craig Swapp & Associates can help you if you lost a loved one or suffered an injury due to a distracted driver.
Whether talking on a cell phone, texting, playing a mobile game, or changing the radio station, distracted driving is both dangerous and negligent. Demanding a driver’s visual, manual, and mental attention simultaneously, texting while driving is considered the most dangerous type of distracted driving, as it causes thousands of Washington distracted driving accidents every year.
Despite federal, state, and local governments passing tougher laws on distracted driving, Spokane distracted driving accidents continue to occur at alarming rates. These accidents can result in single-vehicle or multi-vehicle car accidents and include truck, motorcycle, pedestrian, and bicycle accidents.
Although distracted driving accidents can be easily prevented, drivers continue to endanger others, causing serious injuries and even death. In 2014, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation, distracted driving was the number one cause of car accidents. It accounted for 123 fatalities, causing a crash every twelve minutes. In that same year, there were 33,840 cell phone and texting citations filed with Washington State Courts.
The Washington Traffic Safety Commission reports that drivers aged sixteen to twenty-five years old accounted for about 26 percent of all distracted driving deaths, and drivers seventy years of age and older accounted for approximately 14 percent of fatalities from distracted driving. In addition, about 50.5 percent of all deaths caused by driver distraction took place on the weekends.
Using a cell phone for calling or texting is the number one cause of distracted driving in both the United States and in Washington. In 2008, approximately 6,000 people were killed and 500,000 were injured in collisions involving a distracted driver.
Sending text messages or talking on a cell phone while holding it carries a fine of $124 for a first offense. Drivers must use hands-free devices, and new drivers with permits or drivers with intermediate licenses can only use wireless devices in emergency situations.
The Washington State Department of Transportation reports that a driver talking on a cell phone is as impaired as a driver with a blood alcohol content (BAC) level of .08 percent. Furthermore, a driver texting is as impaired as a driver with a BAC of .16 percent, double the legal limit. This makes it clear that driving distracted is an act of gross negligence, making the driver responsible for any injuries and damages caused.
If a distracted driver caused your accident and resulting injuries, an experienced Spokane distracted driving accident lawyer from Craig Swapp & Associates can investigate your case. We will handle the legal procedures necessary to pursue the maximum compensation possible for your physical, emotional, and financial damages.
You can trust the Spokane car accident lawyers at our firm to aggressively fight for your legal rights with dedication and compassion. Call us today at 1-800-404-9000 for a free case evaluation. If you prefer, you can also complete the form at the bottom of this page to have someone from our office contact you at your convenience.