Despite the bans in California and 30 other states, drivers continue to make unsafe driving decisions. “We continue to see people drive while using their phones to talk or text and we will continue to issue citations for those violators,” a policeman said. The problem is becoming so great, many are calling it an epidemic. Distracted driving is the cause of most car accidents, killing nearly 6,000 people in 2008. Another 500,000 people suffered personal injury.
“To put it plainly, distracted driving is a menace to society. And it seems to be getting worse every year,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood at the second National Distracted Driving Summit in September held in Washington, D.C. The number of citations in Belmont stays at a high rate, despite the no-texting law that went into effect January 1, 2009 and the hands-free-only law July 1, 2008. An average of 28 citations each month are issued due to illegal use of cell phones while driving. Statistics show teens are more likely to be in a distracted-driving accident, yet older drivers still succumb to texting and driving.
According to the Belmont Patch, a man talking on his cell phone in an animated fashion was stopped by officers. He told officers he was talking on his Bluetooth and challenged them in court, but was found guilty.
Distraction.gov helps educate drivers on the dangers of distracted driving. As a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer, I hope that everyone reviews this web site and uses hands-free devices while on the road.
