Delaware Distracted Driving Accident Lawyers
Fighting Hard for Our Injured Clients
Distracted driving is defined as any activity that diverts a driver’s attention from the road, such as texting. With the increasing number of drivers using their phones while driving, distracted driving crashes continue to rise each year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each day nine people are killed and more than 1,000 are injured in the United States due to distracted driving.
If you were injured in a car accident because another driver was distracted, the Delaware car accident lawyers at McCann Dillon Jaffe & Lamb, LLC can help you get the compensation you need to recover.
Types of Distracted Driving Behaviors
The CDC identifies three main types of distractions for drivers: visual, manual and cognitive:
- Visual– anything that takes a driver’s eyes off the road
- Manual– anything that causes a driver to take his or her hands off the wheel
- Cognitive– anything that causes a driver to take his or her mind off the act of driving
Although texting and driving is a common distraction, there are many other ways in which a driver may become distracted, including:
- applying makeup
- changing the music
- checking the GPS
- eating or drinking
- getting lost in thought
- looking for something in the car
- taking pictures
- talking on the phone
- talking to a passenger
- reading messages
Texting and Driving in Delaware
Texting and driving in Delaware is illegal. The First State enacted a hands-free cell phone law in 2011 to prevent drivers from using hand held phones, tablets, laptops, games, and other devices while driving.
Under the law, drivers may not talk, read or type messages, or use the internet while driving a vehicle without using a hands-free device. Penalties include a $100 fine for a first offense and up to $300 for subsequent offenses within a two-year period.
There were nearly 3,500 fatalities from distracted driving accidents in 2016 alone, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Teenagers represented the largest age group among these fatal accidents.
In Delaware, teens between 16 and 18 years old, who are members of the Graduated Driver License (GDL) program, cannot use any type of electronic device while driving, even if it is hands-free.
School bus drivers and commercial vehicle drivers (CDL holders) are also prohibited from using cell phones while driving. School bus drivers may only use cell phones in emergency situations, whereas commercial vehicle drivers without school bus endorsements may not use hands-free devices.
School bus drivers who violate the law face fines of up to $100 for a first offense and up to $200 for subsequent offenses. Commercial drivers face fines of up to $2,750 and CDL disqualification.
Distracted Driving Remains a Concern
The NHTSA warns that taking your eyes off the road for just five seconds, at 55 miles per hour, is long enough to drive the length of a football field. Texting while driving is particularly dangerous because it is a visual, manual, and cognitive distraction.
However, despite texting and driving laws and the associated penalties, distracted driving continues to be a problem in Delaware and throughout the country. The Delaware Office of Highway Safety reports that there were 79 traffic fatalities from January 1 to September 18, 2018. This was up from 74 between January 1 to September 18, 2017.
Delaware Car Accident Lawyers at McCann Dillon Jaffe & Lamb, LLC Help Victims of Distracted Driving Accidents Claim Compensation for Their Injuries
If you were injured in a car accident due to a distracted driver, contact an experienced Delaware car accident lawyer at McCann Dillon Jaffe & Lamb, LLC. We know what it takes to prove fault in these types of cases and can help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact us online or call us at 302-888-1221 for a free consultation. We provide comprehensive legal representation to victims of car accidents throughout Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, including Delaware County, Philadelphia and Chester County.