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Pennsylvania continues to see a lot of distracted driving

On Behalf of | Apr 26, 2018 | Motor Vehicle Accidents |

Many things could put you in danger out on the roads. One is if the driver of a vehicle near you decides that using his or her phone for texting or other purposes is more important than paying full attention to driving. It is estimated that Pennsylvania sees thousands of accidents involving distracted driving a year.

Being exposed to such a crash could leave you with life-changing injuries. Options for pursuing compensation can be available to individuals who have had their lives forever altered by the actions of a texting, or otherwise distracted, driver.

Texting while driving: Against the law in Pennsylvania

In response to the dangers distracted driving poses on the roads, states have passed laws aimed at combatting this unsafe behavior. One common type of law on this front is a ban on texting while driving. Pennsylvania is among the overwhelming majority of states with such a ban in place.

Citations have been on the rise

Now, the years since Pennsylvania’s ban went into force have not seen a disappearance of this unsafe driving. Rather, it appears that texting and driving remains rather prevalent here in Pennsylvania. This can be seen in trends in texting citations in the state. Reportedly, between 2013 and 2017, the number of distracted driving citations issued annually rose by 52 percent.

The increase has been even greater in some areas here in southwestern Pennsylvania. For example, the 2013 to 2017 period saw a 209 percent rise in distracted driving citations in Fayette County and an 88 percent rise in Washington County.

Is a greater deterrent needed?

The rising level of texting citations is among the things that raise questions as to how effective current Pennsylvania law is as a deterrent against unsafe distracted driving. Some argue the state’s laws related to distracted driving need to be strengthened, such as through increasing the types of distracted driving that are prohibited.

What would you like to see happen in the future when it comes to the state’s laws related to distracted driving? What do you think would most help with reducing the prevalence of distracted driving on the state’s roads?

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