Arlington May Become First North Texas City To Ban Cell Phones While Driving
Arlington City Council met last night to discuss the introduction and enforcement of tighter distracted driving restrictions which could seriously reduce the number of auto accidents on DFW roadways. As a Tarrant County Car Accident Lawyer, I have long been a proponent of reducing cell phone usage while behind the wheel of a car as I know that texting while driving is far more dangerous even than drunk driving. In my line of work I have dealt with many personal injury or wrongful death cases which were a result of someone using a cellphone while driving.
Although no final decision has been reached, it appears that tighter descriptions of some description will be introduced in the near future. Lawmakers are currently considering just how effective they want their new prohibition to be, and they have been looking at cities such as Austin and San Antonio who have already banned texting, e-mailing and playing games while driving. They are also considering following El Paso’s example where any non-hands-free usage is completely outlawed.
I hope that when this proposal becomes a reality, it will take as hard a line as possible. No one wants to be in a traffic collision and wreck their vehicle – and putting away your cell phone is one of the easiest things you can do to avoid putting yourself in that situation. There are numerous reports and stories which prove just how dangerous distracted driving is. I hope that many of you saw the special episode of Extreme Home Makeover a few weeks ago which told the story of Alex Brown, a Texas teenager who was killed as a direct result of the fact she was texting while driving. If it takes stricter laws in order to get more people to quit this dangerous habit, then I fully support them. It’s just not worth it.
Mark Anderson is a board certified attorney specializing in car accident injury and wrongful death cases. For a no-charge consolation on your case, please call 817-294-1900 or 214-327-8000.
