Don’t Let One Call End it All! Let April Begin Distraction Free Driving

Texting behind the wheel is one of the most dangerous and irresponsible decisions a driver can make. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), "Texting is the most alarming distraction because it involves manual, visual, and cognitive distraction simultaneously. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 4.6 seconds. At 55 mph, that's like driving the length of an entire football field, blindfolded."

While driving on any road or highway, there is a high probability that you will see a driver on a hand-held phone or, worse, scrolling through text messages. Traffic conditions do not matter; these people will do this in any type of traffic, rush hour, a snow storm, or thunderstorm. Once in the habit, it is hard to change this behavior; it becomes second nature.

Distracted driving has become an epidemic. Safety advocates embrace the implementation of more and tougher laws against cell phone use while operating a vehicle. While such laws can help, legislation is not the solution; knowledge, common sense, and personal responsibility are.

Driving is a complex task that requires eyes on the road, hands on the wheel and the brain focused on the task of driving. We all have a personal responsibility to prevent distracted driving. That is why April has been determined as distracted driving month. Talking about distracted driving, specifically texting and talking on the cell phone, is important especially among young drivers. But, teens are not the only ones that need education on the risk of distracted driving. Last month, a Michigan mother of four was killed in a single vehicle accident because she was texting while driving. When she started to cross the center line into oncoming traffic, the woman swerved, lost control of her vehicle, and hit a telephone pole before the car rolled over.

Experts say three seconds is all it takes for someone to take their attention away from the road and an accident to occur. While many drivers understand the dangers, they still admit to texting and talking on a cell phone while driving. How many innocent lives must be lost? Why does the need to be connected 24/7 trump all traffic safety? The road is full of distractions. Don’t let your cell phone be one of them; it can prove to be a deadly consequence. Lawsuit Financial strongly supports restrictions on driver distractions of any kind. We actively promote driver safety and publicly address the many driving distractions that exist in our daily lives. The more we educate the better chance we all have to improving our roadways.

Mark Bello has thirty-five years experience as a trial lawyer and thirteen years as an underwriter and situational analyst in the lawsuit funding industry. He is the owner and founder of Lawsuit Financial Corporation which helps provide legal finance cash flow solutions and consulting when necessities of life litigation funding is needed by a plaintiff involved in pending, personal injury, litigation. Bello is a Justice Pac member of the American Association for Justice, Sustaining and Justice Pac member of the Michigan Association for Justice, Business Associate of the Florida, Mississippi, Connecticut, Texas, and Tennessee Associations for Justice, and Consumers Attorneys of California, member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan and the Injury Board.