Smart Phones Aren’t So Smart if They Cause Cedar Rapids Car Crashes
With the ever increasing popularity of smart phones, drivers are becoming more distracted on the roads – no matter what the laws are. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 13.5 million drivers use cell phones at any given moment during the day. NHTSA also reports that approximately 3,092 deaths were caused by distracted drivers using cell phones last year. And Iowa is no exception. There are many Cedar Rapids auto accidents caused by distracted drivers on their cell phones.
This statistical information, along with the events of a chain-reaction accident in 2010, led the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to call for a nationwide ban on cell phone use while driving. On Tuesday, December 13, 2011, the NTSB asked for all states to ban drivers from using cell phones and other portable electronic devices – hands-free and hand-held. Of course, drivers would be allowed to use them in case of emergencies.
This recommendation came after a driver involved in last year’s Missouri pileup crash sent and received 11 text messages within minutes of the collision. His car rear-ended a tractor trailer at 55 mph and caused two school buses to wreck. In total, two people died and 38 were injured in this crash.
Although the NTSB cannot make their recommendation binding, they are strongly urging lawmakers to put this nationwide cell phone ban into law.
Many drivers and occupants in Iowa have been injured by distracted drivers. If you were hurt in an Eastern Iowa car accident, you may have rights to pursue a personal injury lawsuit. Call a knowledgeable Cedar Rapids accident attorney today at the Law Offices of Brady Preston Gronlund. You’ll receive a free legal consultation just by calling (319) 866-9277.