Texas Texting While Driving Ban Effective Today

Your Reliance on Your Car’s Safety Features May Be Making You a Worse Driver

In recent years, the automotive industry has made significant advances in the name of safety, but is technology really making drivers safer behind the wheel.  Cars can now essentially park themselves, monitor blind spots, notify drivers when they are drifting into another lane, and activate emergency brakes to prevent a collision.  Interestingly, automakers now worry these safety features are making drivers worse.

Unwanted Side Effects of New Safety Features

These features were meant to make the roads safer and accidents less common.  However, there is more and more evidence these features are degrading driving skills.  In the past two years, U.S. roadway deaths have jumped 14 percent.  The problem with these safety features is they make drivers lazy and less attentive and create a false sense of security that lead drivers to pick up their smartphone to send a text, write an email, or watch a video.

Texting and Driving Causes Accidents

Cellular providers have launched campaigns against texting and driving.  Lawmakers have passed laws in an attempt to curb texting and driving.  Beginning September 1, 2017, a new Texas law will become effective and people who text and drive will be subject to fines.

Texting and driving is dangerous.  Taking your eyes off the road to send a text puts everyone at risk of injury.

What to do Following an Accident

If you have been involved in a car accident, your safety should be your first priority.  Get somewhere safe.  Call the police – they can redirect traffic and complete accident reports – and seek medical attention if needed.  Car accidents can cause injury to any part of the body.  Be sure to exchange information with the other drivers involved in the collision (names, addresses, phone numbers, insurance information, license plate numbers, and etc.) and take photos of the cars and the scene.  If anyone not involved in the crash saw what happened, you should get their name and contact information.

A severe injury from a car accident is likely to result in very expensive medical and rehabilitation bills, and other damages. If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident, you need a Houston auto accident lawyer. The law firm of Morrow & Sheppard can help. Please contact us now for a free, confidential consultation.