NC Woman Dies in Car Accident While Posting to Facebook

The National Safety Council Cell Phone Crash Estimate Model reports that there have been an estimated 333,300 crashes so far this year in the U.S. involving drivers using cell phones and texting, or about one every 30 seconds. A North Carolina woman died behind the wheel of her car last week just moments after posting a Facebook message and hitting a truck head on.

According to police, the woman posted to Facebook and one minute later, a call came in about the crash. The 32-year old woman died after drifting across a grass median and slamming into a truck. An investigation of her online activity also found that she had been posting selfies as she drove. This is a tragedy we see all too often.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), stated that mobile communications are linked to a significant increase in distracted driving, resulting in injury and loss of life. The FCC reported that 11% of drivers aged 18 to 20 who were involved in a car accident and survived admitted they were sending or receiving texts when they crashed.

With so many Americans owning a cellphone, distracted driving has become a real concern. A study by The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times greater than driving while not distracted. Although other studies have also reported the dangers of texting while driving, many drivers are just ignoring the research.

Tests have shown that the minimum amount of time texting takes away from the focus on driving is about 4.6 seconds. When driving 55mph, that’s enough time to drive the length of an entire football field – more than enough space and time for an accident to happen. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that texting while driving is six times more dangerous than driving while intoxicated. They found that driver distraction is the cause of 18 % of all fatal crashes and 23% of all car accidents.

According to the website distraction.gov, the official U.S. government website for distracted driving, drivers in their 20s make up 27% of the distracted drivers in fatal crashes. 10% of all drivers under the age of 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crash. AAA reports that 46% of all teenage drivers admit to text messaging while driving and nearly half of the adults surveyed admitted to texting while driving.

Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer, J. Christopher Munley, encourages parents to put a stop to distracted driving. Warn your teens about the real dangers of driving while texting or with some other form of distraction. Make it clear that they should never make calls or text while they are driving. They can cause a car accident, which can lead to serious injury or even death. Lead by example and let your children see you do the right thing. Turn off your cell phone when driving. If you need to make a call, check messages or send a text message, pull off the road into a safe spot. This may help save your life, and the lives as those driving around you.

Check the laws in your state regarding cell phone use and texting. It is illegal in Pennsylvania to use your cell phone while driving to send or receive texts, emails, or messages of any kind.

If you have been injured in car accident, contact the Pennsylvania personal injury lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys at 855-866-5529.