Cell Phones and Distracted Driving
ALARMING STATISTICS
According to the National Safety Council, nearly 1.6 million crashes are caused by cell phone usage every year, or 25% of all accidents in the United States. These accidents cause over 390,000 injuries per year.
COLORADO’S DISTRACTED DRIVING PROBLEM
In Colorado, there are more than 40 accidents due to distracted driving every day. Colorado law prohibits texting while driving for all ages. It is also illegal to interact with your screen in any way that causes you to drive in a careless or imprudent manner. For drivers younger than age 18, it is illegal to use a cell phone for any purpose at all while driving, except to call law enforcement. These laws acknowledge the danger of cell phone usage for drivers, especially younger drivers, but also recognize that an outright ban may be impractical in a country where most people spend 5 percent of their lives behind the wheel and use cellphones to access playlists and navigation systems, for example.
THE PENALTIES FOR DISTRACTED DRIVING IN COLORADO
In Colorado, if you are caught texting while driving you may be charged with a class 2 misdemeanor and a $300 ticket, with four points added to your driver’s license. This ticket will drastically increase your insurance premiums. If your texting leads to the injury or death of another person, the offense is considered a class 1 misdemeanor and carries ten days to one year in jail. It could also lead to a reckless driving ticket or a vehicular homicide charge.
Just Don’t Do It
An accident caused by distracted driving implies higher level of negligence than a typical accident. To protect yourself and others, both physically and from a legal standpoint, never text and drive. Texting while driving can usually be proven through cell phone records or cell tower data.
There are many applications available to protect drivers from distracting texts and calls while driving. Some of these are:
- AT&T DriveMode
- LifeSaver
- SafeRide
Injured by a Distracted Driver?
CALL A PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER
At Shafner Law, we have helped hundreds of car accident victims who were injured by another driver’s negligence, including the negligence of distracted drivers. If you have been injured in an accident with a distracted driver, contact the Denver personal injury attorneys at Shafner Law. We want to help you.
For a free consultation, call Shafner Law at (303) 796-0555 or fill out the Case Form below.
Additional Distracted Driving Resources
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month
Do you think distracted driving is a problem? If you’re like most people the answer is yes… as long as you’re talking about someone else. Recent studies have shown that while most [...]
Infographic: Distracted Driving Facts
Our latest infographic showing the dangers of distracted driving: If you need a Denver Distracted Driving Accident Attorney, contact Shafner Law for a free consultation.
Designate a Texter or Try a Distraction-Free App
We all know that drinking and driving leads to catastrophic injuries, so we designate a driver to make sure we arrive home safely. Have you ever thought about designating a texter while [...]
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