Distracted Driver
Oklahoma Marks Distracted Driving Awareness Month by Considering Texting while Driving Ban
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and for Oklahomans, the event could not be more timely. On January 31, Oklahoma State Trooper Nick Dees lost his life when he was struck and killed by a driver who was updating social media on his cell phone at the time. Trooper Dees was responding to an accident on I-40 when the crash that took his life occurred.
Currently, Oklahoma is one of only a few states that do not ban texting while driving. Two bills have been introduced in the state legislature to address this problem. Many experienced Oklahoma distracted driving accident lawyers have already contacted their representatives to encourage these bills to pass, and they hope that other Oklahomans will do the same.
Motorcyclist Injured by Distracted Driver on US 169
A 27-year-old man was injured when his stopped motorcycle was struck by a driver who was looking at a phone instead of the roadway. According to a Tulsa World news report, the distracted driving accident occurred on US 169 northbound in Tulsa. Officials say the 27-year-old motorcyclist came to a stop because of slowed traffic when he was rear-ended by a Chevrolet Silverado. Officials say the driver of the Silverado was checking to see whether his phone rang and did not have his eyes on the roadway. The victim was transported to Saint Francis Hospital in serious condition. The 42-year-old driver of the Silverado was not injured in the crash. It is unclear if he will be cited for the collision.
Distracted driving is extremely dangerous. You are much more likely to cause an accident if your mind is not focused on the task at hand, your eyes are not on the roadway, or your hands are not on the wheel. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,328 people were killed and approximately 421,000 people were injured nationwide in distraction-affected crashes in 2012.
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Child Injured in Crash Caused by Texting Driver
A child was injured in an Oklahoma City car accident, which officials believe, involved a distracted driver. According to a KFOR news report, the car crash occurred at I-44 and SW 29th in Oklahoma City. Officials say a woman was driving slowly to a gas station because her vehicle’s tire blew out when a truck rear ended her. Officials also say the driver of the truck was texting while driving. A child, who was in the backseat of the car, was transported to a nearby hospital with back injuries.
There are a number of laws and regulations regarding distracted driving in Oklahoma. Throughout the state, there is a handheld ban for drivers with a learner’s permit or intermediate license. There is also a ban on cell phone use and text messaging for all bus drivers.
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