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California Office of Traffic Safety Adds Distracted Driving to Its List of Safety Concerns

The California Office of Traffic Safety is concerned about distracted driving. California’s laws against distracted driving are not as tough as injury lawyers in the state would like them to be. The penalties are far too light to force people to switch off their cell phones before driving. However, the fact is that California has been far more proactive in dealing with the problem of distracted driving than many other states around the country. It was one of the first states to ban text messaging while driving, and was also one of the first states to ban the use of hand-held cell phones at the wheel.

Now, city officials in California have confirmed that they will be adding distracted driving to the list of top safety issues in California. The California Office of Traffic Safety has confirmed that distracted driving will be added to the Strategic Highway Safety Plan, which already includes drunk driving, truck safety, pedestrian safety, and teen motorist safety. According to officials at the Office of Traffic Safety, it had become important to add distracted driving to the plan, because of the large numbers of motorists in California who talk on cell phones and text while driving.

There have been several studies done into the risk of accidents caused by the use of cell phones and other text messaging devices while driving. Not only have the studies confirmed the risks to motorists from using cell phones while driving, but they have also confirmed the special risks to certain groups of people like teen motorists. It is estimated that the average American teenager sends or receives at least 2000 text messages a month. It is fair to assume that many of these teenagers are text messaging even while they are driving. This is in spite of strict laws prohibiting motorists from the use of such devices at the wheel.

Last year, a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute confirmed California car accident lawyer’s worst fears. The study looked at various distractions, and studied the accident risks from these behaviors. It was found that the highest risk of an accident occurred while the person was text messaging while driving. In fact, the risk of an accident increased by more than 20 times when a motorist was texting while driving.

In spite of these studies, the fact is that safety officials in California have not given distracted driving the concentration it deserves. There have been very few efforts targeting the use of cell phones behind the wheel in the way in which law enforcement efforts frequently target drunk drivers and those who violate seatbelt laws. The National Safety Council estimates that more than 28% of all accidents in the country are caused by distracted driving. It further estimates that approximately 1.6 million accidents a year are caused by the use of cell phone or texting while driving. His edition of the letters, it’s high time that safety officials in California were targeting distracted driving more aggressively.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of car accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not representing any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

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