This past weekend Bruce Jenner was involved in a fatal California car crash on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. Five people suffered personal injuries and one person died in the multi-car collision.
Authorities investigating the fatal car accident are now examining the cellphone records of Jenner and the other motorists involved to determine whether texting played a role in causing this deadly crash. A representative of the Los Angeles sheriff’s department said that reviewing the cellphone records has become a routine part of any major automobile investigation.
The dangers of texting while driving are very real and all too pervasive. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) driving while texting is six more times more dangerous than driving while drunk, and the time it takes to send or receive a text when traveling at 55 miles per hour, is the equivalent to driving the entire length of a football field while blindfolded.
Despite a California law banning texting while driving, statistics reveal that many California drivers still practice this deadly habit and fail to follow guidelines calling for “hands-free” cell phone usage. Since passage of the law, more than 500,000 tickets have been issued to violators. Further, although much emphasis has been placed on texting as a leading cause of death among teens, a recent California study found that “distracted driving” isn’t just a problem with younger drivers. In fact, two-thirds of adults surveyed admitted to using a cell-phone (not “hands-free”) and one-third admitted texting while driving.
While the question whether anyone involved was texting at the time of this crash is still under investigation, this accident serves as an important reminder to avoid distracted driving.
For more information or if you or a loved one has been injured in a California car accident, contact the experienced Oakland personal injury lawyers at Viadro Law, LLP for an immediate consultation.
