Conference explores issue of distracted driving

Earlier this month, the Texas Department of Transportation held a conference called the “Distracted Driving Summit,” which put the issue of distracted driving front and center.

The goal of the conference was not only to raise awareness of the problem of distracted driving, but also to come up with ways to improve the situation.
Improvements in this area, of course, are greatly needed, as evidenced by the fact that there were more than 95,000 traffic accidents in 2013 attributed to distracted-driving. For drivers, distraction can come from a number of sources, including eating and drinking, grooming, reading, and interacting with passengers, but the one on everybody’s mind is the use of mobile devices. In Texas, cell phone and texting use is already banned for bus drivers and novice drivers. In addition, use of handheld phones is banned for all drivers in school zones. While these laws do help in the battle against distracted driving, more needs to be done.

One suggestion at the conference is that businesses take steps to address the issue on their end. The costs of distracted driving for businesses are not negligible. In addition, the conference also raised awareness of efforts by the Texas Department of Transportation to address the problem.

It is hoped, of course, that these various efforts to address the problem improve the situation. In addition to raising awareness about the problem, it is also important for victims of distracted driving to understand their legal rights for recovery. By filing a personal injury lawsuit, victims are able to obtain the compensation they deserve.

Source: The Trucker, “TxDOT considers solution to distracted driving,” June 17, 2014.