10 Risk factors associated with texting accidents Part 1

Posted on 20. May, 2010 by marklink in blog

REDDING (AP) ― A woman who slammed into a line of vehicles while text messaging on her cell phone was sentenced to six years in prison for killing a woman whose car was rear-ended and exploded in flames. Investigators said Deborah Matis-Engle was speeding and text messaging when she slammed into vehicles stopped at a construction zone on Aug. 13, 2007. Shasta County prosecutor Stephanie Bridgett said the 49-year-old had paid several bills by cell phone in the moments before the crash. She was in the middle of one of those transactions when she hit 46-year-old Petra Winn’s car, killing her. Matis-Engle’s attorney, Jeffrey Stotter, said he will appeal her vehicular manslaughter conviction and the sentence she received Friday.

Texting accidents are preventable tragedies. As a Georgia personal injury lawyer it saddens me when I read a story like this. Couldn’t the bills wait until she got home? If her text messages were so important why couldn’t she pull over and stop her car to make them? Hind sight is always 20/20 and regret can last a lifetime. People think that accidents will not happen top them. The false calm a sense of control confers, and the tendency to worry about dangers we can’t control, explains why when we see other drivers talking on cell phones we get nervous but we feel perfectly fine chatting away ourselves. Research shows that if people who bear the risk also get the benefit, they tend to be less concerned about it.

Here are 10 psychological factors that may come into play in deciding to text and drive. It is a risk that more and more people are willing to take. In a court of law it is the job of the attorneys to separate fact from opinion. It is the juries job to decide guilt or innocence and the judges job to guide the process and issue a sentence of the verdict. All things that people don’t think about when they pick up their phone to make a text while driving.

1. Risk and emotion are inseparable.
Have you ever been agitated while driving and noticed how fast you were going? You didn’t set out to speed, but found yourself doing it anyway as you got carried away with your emotions. If you are emotional, take a moment before you drive. If you need to avoid it entirely or have someone else drive you.

2. Fear skews risk analysis in predictable ways.
According to experts the more we see something dangerous or deadly, the more we fear it. The idea behind texting and driving awareness campaigns is to make more people aware of the every day risks of texting and driving. In Georgia it is quickly going from a drivers optional courtesy to a fineable offense for those who take the risk.

3. We underestimate threats that creep up on us.
Small risks can add up over time. People get more comfortable and confident as they take risks the first and then second or more times. You know texting and driving is dangerous, but “Your so good at it.” you tell yourself. This is hardly a defense in a court of law if you cause an injury or death from negligence.

4. We prefer that which (we think) we can control.

If we feel we can control an outcome, or if we choose to take a risk voluntarily, it seems less dangerous, says David Ropeik, a risk consultant. “Many people report that when they move from the driver’s seat to the passenger’s seat, the car in front of them looks closer and their foot goes to the imaginary brake. You’re likely to be less scared with the steering wheel in your hand, because you can do something about your circumstances, and that’s reassuring.” Could explain why your mother always criticizes your driving.

5. We substitute one risk for another.
“I won’t text and drive,instead I’ll make a phone call.” The rsik of phoning and driving versus texting while driving is less, but it is still a distraction that can lead to accidents. As more people text and drive and get injured or killed it seems more media stories are covering the issue. Using your cell phone seems an almost acceptable risk. It isn’t.

We will continue this article in the second part called…
10 Risk factors associated with texting accidents Part 2

If you or someone you know is involved in a taxting accident and have questions about your rights, contact our office with any questions you may have.

Tags: georgia personal injury lawyer, texting accidents