distracted driving accidents

Distracted driving is one of the top causes of serious motor vehicles accidents, here in Maryland and across the U.S. And it comes as no surprise that using cell phones while driving is among the most frequently cited forms of distracted driving leading to injury and death on our roadways.

Some of us remember when a “portable cellular phone” was a clunky, exotic luxury – with a handset the size of a brick, powered by a heavy battery hauled around in a bag (hence, the label “bag phone”). But by the late 1990s, digital technology evolved to make cell phones small enough to fit in a pocket or purse, and soon everyone had to have one with them, at all times.

Once people began to use their cell phones while driving, cell phone use became a major contributor to distracted driving car accidents. Now, the Maryland Supreme Court has made a decision that will affect when law enforcement can make traffic stops based on how a driver “touches” their cell phone.

Some of us remember a time when people got in their cars to go someplace, and they just drove. No cell phones to distract us. Sure, we ate snacks and fidgeted with the radio. But the idea of taking a phone call while driving was, back then, unimaginable to those of us born before the digital revolution changed how we communicate.

Now, our cars have become rolling extensions of our homes and offices, as most everyone seems to be talking on mobile phones while they drive. Hands-free mobile phone systems have enabled motorists to put down their hand-held cell phones — which is the law, in states like Maryland that have a hands-free cell phone law on the books. In addition, in 2014, Maryland enacted Jake’s Law, increasing penalties for distracted driving, including those resulting in serious injury or death, with potential fines of up to $5,000 and up to three years of jail time. Jake Owen was a 5-year-old boy killed in a Maryland distracted driving accident in 2011.

Despite hands-free cell phone usage laws in states like Maryland across the country, some drivers cannot resist the urge to use their hand-held devices. Texting while driving — including sending and receiving messages, and interacting with social media — remains a deadly threat to the motoring public, as it combines visual, manual, and cognitive distraction.

Now, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced a new public safety campaign aimed at stopping distracted drivers before they cause injury or death.

Articles Tagged with distracted driving accidents

Maryland Supreme Court Decision on Cell Phone Use While Driving Impacts Traffic Stops

NHTSA Launches “Put the Phone Away or Pay” Campaign to Curb Distracted Driving