The Connection Between Cell Phones and Louisiana Car Accidents
It may be difficult to find anyone in Louisiana that does not have a cellphone these days. People carry their phones everywhere and some even use them while driving. The connection between cellphones and car accidents is gaining more attention. Drivers can now be fined for using a cell phone while driving, and those fines are typically doubled if an accident results from the driver’s use of the phone.
It may not surprise Louisiana drivers that the group of people most likely to cause accidents due to cellphone use is between the ages of 16 and 20. Simply due to inexperience, younger drivers have a higher probability of being involved in an accident. When those same drivers are texting, talking or checking Facebook, that probability increases significantly.
Even experienced drivers that talk on their phones are at risk. Sources indicate that it takes approximately six seconds to place a call. Six seconds is a significant period of time for a person not to pay attention to traffic or the road. Law enforcement officials look for behaviors indicative of someone using a cell phone. Looking down for any significant period is typically one indication the driver may be using a cellphone.
Plenty of car accidents occur without adding another distraction. Fines are not the only repercussions facing drivers that cause accidents by using their cell phones. Injured parties or the surviving family of a deceased victim may file civil actions such as personal injury claims or wrongful death lawsuits. The possibility of taking a life or seriously injuring another person because a driver could not wait to send a text or otherwise use his or her cellphone while driving simply is not worth the risk.