On distracted driving numbers, and Missouri’s lone law about them

On behalf of Noland Law Firm, LLC posted in car accidents on Wednesday, August 19, 2015.

We’ve all been there: you’re driving down the highway when a vehicle in front of you, with the interior lit up by the ghostly glow of a cellphone screen, swerves in their lane. It teeters on the lane divider before the driver corrects his or her swaying ways. It’s incredibly depressing to see. We have all this technology, but no compulsion control when using it. Drivers shouldn’t be looking at a cellphone screen when they are behind the wheel of a powerful vehicle that can be deadly when operated by a negligent person.

So what laws are in place in Missouri to curb (or, at least, attempt to curb) distracted driving? Sadly, Missouri only has one law that addresses cellphone use behind the wheel in a direct way. The law targets “novice drivers” (which are defined as anyone 21 years of age or younger), banning them from texting.

Of course, distracted driving can still be addressed by victims of a distracted driving accident even if there is no law that explicitly states it is illegal. Distracted driving is still negligent and irresponsible, and those who engage in this behavior can make themselves liable.

And there is no shortage of people using cellphones behind the wheel. According to a report, at any given daylight moment, there are 660,000 people using electronic devices while driving. Additionally, 153.3 billion texts were sent in the United States every month according to data as of Dec. 2013.

People who engage in the use of electronic devices while driving a car can cause accidents, and the victims of those accidents should consider legal action.

Source: Distraction.org, “Facts and Statistics,” Accessed Aug. 19, 2015