How many times have Colorado residents heard that texting and driving is becoming as dangerous as drinking and driving? This form of distracted driving puts the lives of everyone at risk whether they are operating a motor vehicle, riding a bicycle or walking. Many of the crashes involving this activity result in serious and fatal injuries, especially in pedestrian accidents in which the victim lacks the same protections as those in vehicles.
One Colorado woman who survived an accident as a pedestrian decided to take action when the driver involved, a teenager, admitted to texting at the time. The severity of her injuries cost her months of her life as she suffered through pain and physical therapy. She even spent the first week after the accident in the intensive care unit. She feels fortunate that she survived the accident and kept returning to thoughts of raising awareness of the dangers texting and driving present.
Even as many people acknowledge that this form of distracted driving is dangerous, that does not stop a large number of drivers from doing it themselves. They believe they can multitask successfully and not become part of the problem. This is the fallacy that the woman’s campaign, “Colorado Drive Safe,” hopes to dispel.
In the meantime, pedestrian accidents involving distracted drivers, many of whom may have been texting, continue to happen. Victims, or victims’ families in the case of death, may exercise their rights to file either personal injury or wrongful death claims against the drivers deemed responsible. If the evidence proves that negligence caused the injuries or death, the court may award damages that could help with the financial losses that inevitably accompany such tragedies.
Source: CBS Denver, “Woman Creates Texting And Driving Coalition After Serious Accident“, Matt Kroschel, March 27, 2018