A college student from Texas believes he is lucky to be alive after a terrible crash. He was texting and driving when his truck flew off of a cliff. This type of story is happening so frequently these days, which is why I blog about it. Just before Chance Bothe’s truck plunged off of a bridge and into a ravine, he typed a text into his phone.
He wrote,
“I need to quit texting, because I could die in a car accident.”
This situation seems unreal, but it’s not. Unfortunately, many new teen drivers (and adults alike) seem to have a cell phone addiction that causes the phenomena texting-while-driving to take precedence over mature sensibility and meticulous attention to the road, required of a safe driver. It’s like an addiction, as even though this man knew he was doing something dangerous, he just wouldn’t stop.
As a San Francisco Automobile Accident Attorney, I have to say that the incident above could have easily been avoided had distracted driving not been a factor. While your mind is elsewhere, or your hands are off the wheel, or your eyes are off the road, reality can bite you instantly, and send you over a cliff.
After the crash, Chance had a broken neck, a crushed face, a fractured skull and traumatic brain injuries. Doctors had to bring him back to life three times. Now, six months later, he’s finally able to talk about what happened. His plea is to beg all drivers that texting while driving, or any distracted driving, is not worth losing your life.
In the technology era in which we live, all parents must take a stance against our teenagers’ distracted driving practices. Moreover, we adults have a chance to come out of denial and realize that teens are copying parent drivers closest to them. So, set a good example! Distracted driving is selfish driving and it kills. Your kids should know this well before they are teens and kids should demand that anyone driving a car in which they are riding put down the phone.
If it takes tracking the phone behaviors of new teenage drivers to reduce distracted driving injuries then I must support even this invasive idea.
It’s not enough that states are issuing fines for using cell phones while driving. The fines are not steep enough to curtail the urge. The urge to constantly use a mobile phone in and of itself seems to be a disorder that is running rampant. It’s time to get all drivers to see the truth and get their eyes back on the roads. We all deserve a safe road for ourselves and our families.
About the author: Claude Wyle is an aggressive advocate for Bay Area motorists and passengers. Claude has decades of experience representing those harmed by the wrongful conduct of other, and, as a San Francisco personal injury attorney, has fought to protect the rights of injured motorists throughout his legal career.
