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Charleston, SC Passes Texting and Driving Ban

texting and driving

City of Charleston Officially Bans Texting and Driving, Plans to Educate Drivers

texting and drivingThe City of Charleston passed a ban on texting and driving on Tuesday, October 8th. However, the council noted that there will need to be time to educate drivers about the new ban.

Police Chief Greg Mullen said that the council and local police will, over the next 30 days, put up signs, moveable message boards, and other media to advertise the new legislation. After that, another month will be dedicated to enforcement through warnings. Around December, strict cracking down on texting and driving will begin, with $100 tickets issued to violators.

Using a mobile phone to dial and talk is not covered in the legislation, only use of text messages or written media.

Chief Mullen said he will also spend time working with his department on learning the parameters of the new texting and driving ordinance. Officers must have a clear and unobstructed view of a suspected driver’s actions, which include “excessively manipulating the phone” without bringing the device to the ear. Police must establish enough probable cause to stand up in court.

Charleston’s texting and driving ordinance specifically says that a driver cannot look down to scroll through their e-stored music, use the phone’s GPS application while moving around town (unless GPS coordinates have been inserted into the phone before departure), and the driver cannot take and/or send photographs.

“Viewing, taking, or transmitting images, playing games, or composing, sending, reading, viewing, accessing, browsing, transmitting, saving or retrieving email, text messages, or other electronic data” are outlawed, the ordinance says.

The texting and driving ordinance has expanded the definition of “vehicle” to bikes, buses, golf carts, skateboards, mopeds, horse carriages, and rickshaws. Exemptions from the law are hands-free devices, and stationary and parked vehicles, as well as a driver attempting to contact 911 or emergency services.

When the texting and driving ordinance kicks in fully in December, officers will no longer have to pull over drivers for a secondary offence. Additionally, courts can subpoena a device’s use records during court cases.

The City of Charleston joins Beaufort County and Hilton Head Island in anti-texting and driving legislation.

A larger state ban on texting and driving is still pending, after it did not pass in 2012. Rep. Don Bowen of Anderson County, who has been pushing such legislation for two years, says he is confident the ban could pass this year.

“We’re hoping by putting the teeth back into the bill, and the awareness has become so much greater than it has in the past, that this time we won’t have the opposition that we’ve had to it,” said Bowen.

“The problem is that it’s going to require an officer that pulls you over to take your phone, and go through your phone to figure out what you were doing,” said Rep. Todd Rutherford of Richland County. “Because dialing on a cell phone and texting on a cell phone, how is the officer going to know the difference?”

The Strom Law Firm Prosecutes Texting and Driving

If you have been injured by a distracted driver, including one who was texting and driving, the attorneys at the Strom Law Firm can help. Our South Carolina car accident lawyers are prepared to fight for compensation in the courtroom and will defend your right to compensation for your past and future medical bills, lost wages and future earnings, your pain and suffering, and, in the event of a fatal car accident, even wrongful death. We offer free consultations to discuss the facts of your case, so do not hesitate to contact us. 803.252.4800.

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Charleston Considers Texting and Driving Ban

texting and driving ban

texting and drivingOne of SC’s Largest Cities Reviewing Texting and Driving Ban

The City of Charleston could see a ban on texting and driving soon.

The Charleston City Council’s Wednesday agenda noted that an ordinance will be presented that could make it illegal for drivers to text and drive, or use their smart phones for certain purposes while behind the wheel.

“I think it’s very important and hope that we can get it passed. Texting while driving is very dangerous,” said Mayor Joe Riley.

The ordinance specifies that drivers not only cannot text and drive, they cannot read text messages or emails, write emails, use digital assistants, or type on a computer while driving. If an officer pulls someone over on reasonable suspicion of texting and driving, the ordinance states that the officer would be able to subpoena cell phone records for the court hearing.

However, the ordinance does not apply to drivers who use their phones while they are stopped or parked, or while they use factory-installed GPS or wireless devices that transmit or receive data as part of a digital dispatch system. Drivers can also use voice-operated technology. The amendment would also not apply to law enforcement officers, firefighters, ambulance drivers, or others who use such mobile devices to perform official duties.

The texting and driving ban would fine those caught using mobile devices $100. If the ban passes, it would go into effect in October 2013.

Despite South Carolina’s growing enthusiasm for texting and driving bans, Clemson Police Chief Jimmy Dixon remains skeptical. “It’s not ever going to be easy to enforce. We’re not going to stop it,” he said. “It’s a constant (educational) process.”

South Carolina’s Texting and Driving Bans Becoming More Popular

A similar texting and driving ban passed the Mt. Pleasant Town Council. On Tuesday, August 13th, a preliminary vote was 6-3 in favor of the ban, but it is not official yet. The official vote will be at the town council meeting on September 10th.

In early July, the Hilton Head Island Town Council passed a texting and driving ban in a 4-to-1 vote.

The new texting and driving ban in Hilton Head says that any motorist caught reading or composing electronic messages, from Facebook to texts, within the town limits will face misdemeanor fines. The first offense is $100, the second is $200, and the third is $300. However, the measure does specifically say that drivers can still use MP3 players, GPS navigation, and hands-free options on their phones.

Assistant town manager Greg DeLoach said, “The challenge is that you can educate a lot of residents on the island, but we have 2 million visitors a year.” He said he would prefer a state-wide texting and driving ban, to make the rules clearer to all drivers.

In March, the South Carolina legislature re-introduced a texting and driving bill, sponsored by Rep. Don Bowen of Anderson County, who has been pushing such legislation for two years. In 2012, the bill did not pass, but Bowen says he is more confident the bill will pass this time around.

“We’re hoping by putting the teeth back into the bill, and the awareness has become so much greater than it has in the past, that this time we won’t have the opposition that we’ve had to it,” said Bowen.

“The problem is that it’s going to require an officer that pulls you over to take your phone, and go through your phone to figure out what you were doing,” said Rep. Todd Rutherford of Richland County. “Because dialing on a cell phone and texting on a cell phone, how is the officer going to know the difference?”

The Strom Law Firm Prosecutes Texting and Driving

If you have been injured by a distracted driver, including one who was texting and driving, the attorneys at the Strom Law Firm can help. Our South Carolina car accident lawyers are prepared to fight for compensation in the courtroom and will defend your right to compensation for your past and future medical bills, lost wages and future earnings, your pain and suffering, and, in the event of a fatal car accident, even wrongful death. We offer free consultations to discuss the facts of your case, so do not hesitate to contact us. 803.252.4800.

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Driver’s Vehicular Manslaughter Charge Upgraded to Murder After Tweets

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vehicular manslaughterDriving History and Twitter Feed Led to Murder Charge After Driver Killed Cyclist

On August 14th, an 18 year old man from Pleasanton, California was taken into custody on a murder charge after an investigation into his Twitter feed and past driving history upgraded the charge from vehicular manslaughter.

Cody Matthew Hall appeared in court earlier in the week after charges from the June 9th accident were upgraded from vehicular manslaughter to murder. He is accused of the murder of Diana Hersevoort, 58. Although he walked into the courthouse with a smile on his face and surrounded by friends, the smile quickly disappeared when the judge ordered Hall taken into custody without bail.

He will be held in the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, CA until his court appearance next month for the upgraded murder charge.

On June 9th, Hall caused an accident on a road that, observers say, is popular with cyclists on weekends. Reportedly, Hall was driving 83 mph to pass another driver, when he lost control of his SUV and accidentally hit two cyclists. Mrs. Hersevoort, who was wearing a helmet, was killed after she was thrown from her bicycle, while her husband sustained a leg injury, was taken to the hospital, and released later that day.

After the crash, Hall stopped and spoke with police, but reportedly refused to give a statement. When officials concluded their investigation in July, Hall was charged with felony vehicular manslaughter and reckless driving, and was released on bail after an initial hearing.

However, those charges were upgraded to murder after a discovery that Hall bragged on Twitter about how fast he liked to drive. “An analysis of Hall’s driving record and pattern — along with Twitter posts in which he talked about how fast he liked to drive — factored into upgrading the case to murder,” The Chronicle reports, citing local authorities.

“Drive fast live young,” reads one tweet. Another states, “Someone come on a death ride with me !!!”

Hall could now face “15 years to life on the murder charge and an additional three years and eight months for the reckless driving charge,” reports the Pleasanton Weekly. Prosecutors may use Hall’s bragging Tweets as a “pre-offensive statement” in his murder trial.

South Carolina

Unfortunately, injuries from bike accidents are very common.  Negligent drivers send several hundred thousand cyclists to the hospital every year.  Some riders protect themselves by wearing a helmet and obeying traffic laws, but sometimes that is not enough to prevent serious injury from a bike accident.

Bike accidents most often lead to:

  • Broken bones
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Head trauma, including traumatic brain injury
  • Road rash
  • And sometimes death

Whether were hit in a crosswalk, intersection, or on the road by a car following too closely, distracted driving, aggressive driving or failure to yield the right of way, the South Carolina accident lawyers at the Strom Law Firm, LLC will fight to secure fair compensation for your injuries.

The Strom Law Firm Defends Victims of Personal Injury, Manslaughter, or Murder in Accident Cases

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a South Carolina ATV accident or a bike accident, contact the Strom Law Firm today. Whether your case involves a murder charge in a criminal investigation, or a personal injury or wrongful death case, the attorneys at the Strom Law Firm can help. The sooner you hire one of our accident lawyers, the sooner we will be able to investigate your case and the stronger your case will be. We offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case, so do not hesitate to call us. 803.252.4800

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SC Sees First Texting and Driving Bans

shutterstock_125832584Municipalities Across Beaufort County Ban or Restrict Texting and Driving

Although South Carolina is currently one of three states in the country that does ban texting and driving, the state could see a no texting and driving law on the books very soon.

In early July, the Hilton Head Island Town Council passed a texting and driving ban in a 4-to-1 vote. Although the ban went into effect immediately, law enforcement officers are first undergoing training. Once that is complete, officers will begin to educate “the general public with traffic stops,” and then the law will be fully enacted.

Continue reading “SC Sees First Texting and Driving Bans”

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Hands-Free Devices for Texting and Driving Still Risky

shutterstock_74278003AAA Study Finds Hands-Free Texting and Driving Technology Still Risky

The latest in technology – voice-activated programs in cars that allow drivers to text or write emails with voice commands instead of with their hands – was marketed as very safe, much safer than texting and driving with the phone in your hands. However, a new study from AAA finds that regardless of the technology, the practice still creates distracted drivers and is therefore still dangerous.

Researchers released study findings on Wednesday, June 12th. They discovered that hands-free technologies are not significantly safer than hand-held devices. Speech-to-text systems, which allow users to write and send emails and texts, as well as scroll through or delete messages, require greater concentration from drivers than other distracting activities like talking on the phone or to a passenger, or listening to music or a book on tape.

According to the study, the greater the concentration required to perform a task, the more likely the driver is to develop “tunnel vision” or “inattention blindness.” Rather than scanning the roadway or checking their mirrors, drivers look straight ahead, but fail to see objects, stop lights, or people in front of them.

“People aren’t seeing what they need to see to drive. That’s the scariest part to me,” said Peter Kissinger, president and CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, the group’s safety research arm. “Police accident investigative reports are filled with comments like the ‘looked, but did not see.’ That’s what drivers tell them. We used to think they were lying, but now we know that’s actually true.”

“We believe there is a public safety crisis looming,” AAA spokeswoman Yolanda Cade said. “We hope this study will change some widely held misconceptions by motorists.”

AAA officials took their findings to automakers, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and other safety advocates. AAA suggested that in-vehicle, voice or manual commands should be limited strictly to “core driving tasks.”

The study conducted by AAA is not the first to compare the two methods of texting and driving, and other tests have come up with similar results. However, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration study, conducted using drivers’ real-world driving experiences, found that using hands-free devices to text and drive was safer than hands-on.

David Strayer, an expert on cognitive distraction and lead author of the study, which was conducted by the University of Utah on behalf of AAA, said that the difference between speaking to a computer and speaking to a person was the computer’s ability to understand commands. Although the study used a very high-fidelity system which made no errors, humans had to know the exact commands, such as “Call Home,” and not misinterpret the command as “Call Home Depot.” Most systems currently in vehicles are not so good at comprehending human voices, Strayer pointed out. He added that synthetic computer voices are harder for people to understand, which meant people had to focus much harder on the computer’s voice, drawing attention away from the road.

“The complexity of trying to say something that is coherent when there is no feedback is much more difficult,” Strayer said. “The more complex and the longer those interactions are, the more likely you are going to have impairments when you’re driving.”

AT&T Hosts Campaign on Texting and Driving Dangers in Columbia

AT&T will host another part of their anti-texting and driving campaign in Columbia, SC soon.

Company representatives at AT&T restail stores will give customers and the public a chance to use a simulator that they say shows how dangerous it is to text and drive. In February this year, the company took their texting and driving simulator to the Statehouse, where both lawmakers and the public could try the device.

According to AT&T, texting and driving is extremely dangerous. Their statistics show that drivers who text and drive are 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident than non-texting drivers.

The Strom Law Firm Prosecutes Texting and Driving

If you have been injured by a distracted driver, including one who was texting and driving, the attorneys at the Strom Law Firm can help. Our South Carolina car accident lawyers are prepared to fight for compensation in the courtroom and will defend your right to compensation for your past and future medical bills, lost wages and future earnings, your pain and suffering, and, in the event of a fatal car accident, even wrongful death. We offer free consultations to discuss the facts of your case, so do not hesitate to contact us. 803.252.4800.

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Memorial Day Seatbelt Safety Campaign Underway

MP900442392-300x168South Carolina Focuses on Seatbelt Safety this Memorial Day with Seatbelt Safety Enforcement

Memorial Day kicks off summer – the kids are out of school, pools are open, and backyard barbecue weather is back. For law enforcement officers, however, Memorial Day weekend is the start of the “100 Deadliest Days of Summer,” when more people than ever travel, and the rate of highway accidents skyrockets. That’s why, this Memorial Day Weekend, South Carolina law enforcement agencies are focusing on seatbelt safety.

“It’s that 100 days when we initially kick off the beginning of summer, and we’ve seen in recent years a spike in fatalities because of more traffic, people vacationing, kids out of school,” said Lance Cpl. Judd Jones with the S.C. Highway Patrol.

AAA Carolinas estimates that more than 443,000 motorists will be on South Carolina’s roads and highways just this weekend, to see family and enjoy holiday festivities.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol recently kicked off their Buckle-Up South Carolina campaign, which focuses on seatbelt safety, especially while driving at night.

“While more people are buckling up during the day, far too many choose to disobey the law at night when the risk of getting into a fatal collision actually rises,” said Leroy Smith, director of the state Department of Public Safety. “The simple act of buckling up could save hundreds of lives each year. We want to bring a focus on this deadly trend, especially going into summer when travel on our roads will increase.”

“[Drivers] wear their seat belt in the daytime cause they know we’re out there looking, it’s easier for us to see,” said Lance Corporal Brent Kelly with SCHP. “But at nighttime they don’t want to wear it, but that’s when your risk goes up.  We want to let everybody know just because it’s at night and we can’t see, you’re still increasing your chances of losing your life in a crash.”

According to the SCHP, no seatbelts or helmets were used in almost all of the deaths reported during Memorial Day weekends for the last two years. In 2011, between Friday at 6 PM and Monday at midnight, 8 people died in automotive accidents of some kind. Five were car crashes, in which the drivers or passengers were not following seatbelt safety; two were motorcyclists, who were not wearing helmets. One of the deaths was a pedestrian.

However, there has been an annual decrease in the number of deaths over Memorial Day Weekend. As of midnight on May 22nd, SCHP reports that there have been 242 traffic-related fatalities, which is 91 less than last year.

While also focusing on seatbelt safety, SCHP says it will be very vigilant for drunk drivers. If you are pulled over this weekend, expect officers to be thorough in inspecting for intoxicated drivers, seatbelt safety, and other traffic violations.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol kicks off its traffic and seatbelt safety campaign, Buckle-Up South Carolina, tonight, May 24th.

The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Seatbelt Safety and DUI Charges This Memorial Day

If you or a loved one have been pulled over due to a traffic violation, such as improper seatbelt safety, distracted driving, or DUI, you do not have to face the charges alone. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm understand the complexities of traffic safety regulations in South Carolina, and can help you fight for your rights. Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation. 803.252.4800.

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Teen Texting and Driving Related to Other Driving Risks

Texting and Driving on the Rise, Teens Who Text Take Other Dangerous Driving Risks

A new federal study finds that your teen is more likely to engage in other dangerous driving behaviors if they engage in texting and driving.

According to the report, sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 45% of all students 16 years old or older in 2011 admitted that they had texted or emailed while driving in the 30 days prior to being asked.

The CDC found that teens who participating in texting and driving were five times more likely to drive after consuming alcohol, compared to teenagers who did not text and drive. Teens who committing texting and driving offenses were also much less likely to wear their seatbelts – they were up to 40% more likely to forget to put on their seat belt than their counterparts.

According to CDC Director Thomas Frieden, it is no surprise that teens that text and drive are more likely to take other risks.

“But the big picture is that the greatest single risk to teenagers in this country is getting hurt or killed in a motor vehicle crash; that’s the most likely thing to result in their death,” he says. “And texting while driving makes teen driving even more dangerous.”

The practice, he adds, “may be associated with some of the slowing or even reversal of very encouraging declines we had seen until the last year” in the number of teen fatalities, indicated by preliminary 2012 statistics, which show a disturbing rise in fatalities.

A similar study, presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Washington, DC, researchers reported that teens who participate in texting and driving are more likely to binge drink (5 or more drinks), use tobacco products, use pot, and have unsafe sex.

“In short, teens who (text while driving) engage in a multitude of other risky behaviors,” says Andrew Adesman, senior investigator of that report and chief of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York.

The CDC’s 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which looked at trends in 15,000 high school students nationally, was the first such study to ask about texting and driving.

The study found that banning texting and driving did little to prevent the practice with teenagers – 39% of teens in states that banned the practice reported that they texted while driving anyway, compared to 44% of teens who texted and drove in states with no bans.

However, the trend with teenagers seems to be in step with drivers of all ages. The CDC reported that 31% of US drivers, between 18 and 64, reported that they had sent a text or an email while driving at least once within 30 days of being surveyed.

AT&T conducted an independent survey and found that 49% of adult drivers admitted to texting and driving, along with 43% of teenagers.

The example that parents set can’t be underestimated, says CDC’s Frieden: “Parents have to lead by example. If you drive fast, if you drink and drive, if you text and drive, then your kids learn that that’s acceptable behavior, and it is not.

“Multitasking may be fine if you’re sitting at your desk, but not when you’re driving a car,” Frieden adds. “Things can go so badly so quickly. That’s what I think teens don’t recognize. Deep down, most teens think they are invincible, but you can go from a perfectly normal situation to heading into a truck or off a bridge or into a tree within a second or two, far less than the time it takes to reach down and type ‘LOL’ on a text message.”

Automobile Accident Attorneys Prosecute Texting and Driving in South Carolina

The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm take road safety very seriously. If you have been in an automobile accident, you could face life-long medical bills, raised insurance rates, and property damage. If you were not at fault for the accident, you could feel alone facing serious financial difficulty. The Strom Law Firm can help. If you have been injured by a driver who was texting and driving, and caused the accident, you do not have to suffer in silence. Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation. 803.252.4800.

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DUI Death Settlement Includes Estate of Late USC Football Coach

DUIPersonal Liability Included in DUI Death Settlement

Last May, Justin Timmerman was run over in Five Points and dragged to his death by an SUV driven by a very intoxicated driver. The driver turned out to be William Carlen, the 24-year-old son of the late Jim Carlen, who was arrested for felony DUI. William Carlen had a history of DUI convictions, and the Timmerman family took him to court for the DUI death.

In January, Timmerman’s family received $975,000 in a personal injury suit against Jake’s Bar & Grill in Five Points. The bar was brought to court in the DUI personal injury lawsuit because they violated a South Carolina law that states that bars cannot serve patrons who are intoxicated. William Carlen was shown on surveillance footage to have entered the bar twice the night of the accident, and had a bar tab that “totaled almost $200.”

Carlen’s felony DUI criminal case has not yet gone to trial. However, the Timmerman family brought a wrongful death lawsuit against the Carlens, because William Carlen had a history of DUI arrests, and his family knew it.

Jim Carlen lent the SUV to his son, even though he knew the man had a history of DUI charges and arrests. That made Jim Carlen and his estate personally liable. The elder Carlen also provided his son with a credit card, which the son used at bars and night clubs to purchase alcohol.

Jim Carlen died last July, a few months after his son’s arrest on DUI charges. His estate is now liable for the personal injury lawsuit.

At the time of the accident, William Carlen had a blood alcohol level of .20 – more than twice the legal limit of .08 in South Carolina.

William Carlen and his mother Meredith Carlen settled at $1.3 million, most of which will be paid by insurance companies. However, the two survivors of Jim Carlen are personally responsible for $275,000.

DUI Representation in South Carolina

Pleading guilty to a DUI charge without the advice of a lawyer can have lasting personal and professional consequences including:

  • your ability to maintain your current as well as obtain future employment,
  • the expense of SR-22 insurance,
  • possible prison time,
  • hefty fines (which can double when you add court costs), &
  • the loss of your license.

A person will be charged with a felony for driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or both, if while operating the vehicle under the influence, the person causes “great bodily injury” or death to a person other than himself including a passenger, pedestrian, another driver. Great bodily injury is defined by the state of South Carolina as bodily injury, which creates a substantial risk of death or which causes serious or permanent disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ. Additionally, if the injured person dies from related complications (such as a coma) within three years of the DUI-related injury, the driver may be implicated in the death. Upon conviction of a felony DUI by jury, the accused faces a minimum mandatory prison sentence and fine.

The Attorneys at the Strom Law Firm Can Help with Felony DUI Charges

Are you or a loved one facing a felony charge resulting from a drunk driving accident that caused serious injury or loss of life to another? The criminal defense and felony DUI lawyers at the Strom Law Firm, LLC provide a no-fee consultation to discuss the facts of your DUI case and to discuss whether to plead guilty or not guilty. Do not hesitate to contact us for help.803.252.4800

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Teen Distracted Driving Deaths Down in South Carolina

traffic jam

Less Distracted Driving Leads to Fewer Teen Driving Deaths in South Carolina

Deaths of drivers aged 16 and 17 dropped again in 2012, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety’s Office of Highway Safety. That means fewer teen distracted driving deaths.

This record is in keeping with South Carolina’s long-range trend as well. The number of teenage driving deaths, including from distracted driving, has been declining since 2003.

13 teenagers died in car accidents in 2012, according to statistics.

AAA Carolinas Traffic Safety Foundation president Tom Crosby believes that the decline in teenage and distracted driving deaths in the last few years has been more related to the economy than government initiatives or legislation. As the economy picks back up, there will be more teen deaths, because more teens will be driving more,” Crosby predicted. He recommended that South Carolina adopt a graduated youth driver’s license, which means kids spend more time behind the wheel with parental supervision before they can drive on their own.

National Teen Driving and Distracted Driving Numbers Went Up in 2012

The national average, however, went up last year.

According to the Governor’s Highway Safety Association, deaths of 16- and 17-year-old drivers in traffic accidents was up in the first six months of 2012 by 19%, compared to 2011.

Between January and June of 2012, 107 16-year-old drivers died, due to distracted driving and other causes. In the first half of 2011, that number was just 86.

Deaths of 17-year-old drivers rose as well: 116 in the first half of 2011, compared to 133 in the first half of 2012.

The report is based on preliminary data from each state, which sometimes changes as more information comes in. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will release more data later in the year.

Twenty-five states reported increases, seventeen – including South Carolina – had decreases, and eight states and DC reported no change in overall teenage and distracted driving deaths.

Over the last ten years, the national average of teenage and distracted driving deaths has dropped dramatically – so, while it is concerning that the number is on the rise, the overall national trend, like the trend in South Carolina, is decreasing. In 2000, 435 16-year-old drivers died in car accidents. The total for 2011 dropped drastically to 173.

The long-term decline in teenage and distracted driving deaths seems to coincide with a gradual national decline in general traffic fatalities, which is also on the rise again. The National Safety Council reported that traffic fatalities rose 5% last year, which is the first increase since 2004 to 2005.

Distracted Driving is a Consistent Problem for Teenage Drivers

A study in May last year found that use of electronic devices was the most common form of distracted driving for teens. In a technology-fueled world, young drivers can often find themselves distracted by as many as three different devices at once (including cell phones, iPods, and GPS’s).

Interestingly, distracted driving tendencies were related to gender. According to the study:

  • Females were nearly twice as likely as males to use an electronic device while driving, and overall were nearly 10 percent more likely to be observed engaging in other distracted behaviors, like reaching for an object in the vehicle and eating or drinking.
  • Males were roughly twice as likely to turn around in their seats while driving, and were also more likely to communicate with people outside of the vehicle.

The findings are noteworthy as distracted driving contributes to South Carolina traffic accidents, injuries and fatalities.

The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Personal Injury Cases from Distracted Driving Accidents

Whether the distraction is eating, putting on makeup, talking on a cellphone, or even just daydreaming, distracted driving can lead to an accident, causing serious personal injury or even death.If you have been injured by an accident caused by distracted driving, the South Carolina accident attorneys at the Strom Law Firm, L.L.C. will fight for fair compensation for your injuries. Our South Carolina car accident lawyers are prepared to fight for compensation in the courtroom and will defend your right to compensation for your past and future medical bills, lost wages and future earnings, your pain and suffering, and, in the event of a fatal car accident, even wrongful death. Contact us today for a free consultation. 803.252.4800.