According to recent research distracted driving is now the second leading cause of driving fatalities. Driving with excessive speed is second, and drunk driving is third.
http://globalnews.ca/video/1545331/distracted-driving-now-the-second-cause-of-bc-crash-fatalities
This has, according to ICBC, resulted in an increase in rear end motor vehicle accidents of 14%. As a lawyer in Vancouver, British Columbia, I can attest to rear end collisions being one of the most common causes of personal injury. The majority of the cases I’ve worked on have involved rear end collisions.
From the perspective of an injured party, the rear end situation creates few liability issues. There is a general assumption that the party who has struck another vehicle from behind has been negligent. This can increase the ease at which an injured party can gain a fair settlement. However, this general assumption is not a strict rule. I will discuss this in a later blog posting dealing with rear end collisions and liability, but there are several circumstances where the driver of the car who has been struck from behind can still be found partially or entirely at fault.
Is this new epidemic of texting and driving an example of technology actually decreasing our safety? Are people putting their own safety, and the safety of others on the road, at risk for the sake of convenience?
As always I invite your comments, and if you have been injured by a texter (or anyone), please contact me for a free consultation.
