A recent study by the CDC found that over half of student drivers over 16 frequently texts and drive. Every day, 9 people die as a result of car crashes caused by texting or otherwise distracted drivers.
If you’re a parent, you need to know about your kids’ driving habits to keep them and others on the road safe. You need to know about your teenagers texting and driving.
If your kids have already been in a car accident that happened as a result of texting and driving, you’ll need to know how to best protect your financial assets or fight for your insurance claim. Below, we’ve detailed everything you need to know.
The Facts
When a driver takes their eyes off the road or their hands off the wheel, they increase their risk of crashing. In the seconds spent sending a text, a distracted driver could end a life.
Texting and driving cause an estimated 300,000-700,000 car accidents every year.
Texting isn’t the sole cause of distracted driving. Talking on your cell phone, selfies, social media, or watching videos all contribute to distracted driving. In fact, only 12% of car accidents caused by distracted driving come from texting and driving.
The Laws
It isn’t difficult to catch people texting and driving. It’s such a serious problem that several states have laws making the practice illegal. In Washington, it’s illegal to even hold an electronic device when stopped at an intersection.
In these states, if you’re caught texting and driving you may face heavy fines or possible jail time. In Washington, the first ticket you receive for using an electronic device in your car is $136 and the second one is $234. Washington’s distracted driving laws also prohibit you from shaving, putting on makeup, or eating while driving a car.
The Liability
On top of that, insurance companies use this violation of the law against you. They will deny your claim and have the insurance company representing the other driver hold you at fault. Even in scenarios where you’re hit by a drunk driver or a red-light runner, you may still be responsible for the accident.
Even in cases where your teenager doesn’t get into an accident, a simple ticket reported to your insurer can raise your premiums.
As you probably know, insurance coverage for a teenage driver is already very high.
Do You Have Teenagers Texting and Driving?
If you have teenagers texting and driving and they’ve already gotten into an accident, you may need to contact a lawyer immediately.
Because they’ll likely be at fault for the accident (depending on the circumstances), there’s a good chance car insurance won’t cover the damages they’ve made to the other vehicle and person(s) involved.
In this case, you’ll need a lawyer to represent you in a civil or a potential criminal suit. If you think you need legal representation, considering contacting us.