Have Colorado Texting Laws Gone Far Enough?

Have Colorado Texting Laws

At the beginning of March, Colorado lawmakers decided to reject a new measure that would ban cellphone use while driving. The committee has stated that they will not let this measure go dormant. The bill would have banned hand-held calls as well as the usage of apps while driving.

Distracted Drivers Now Number One Cause of Car Accidents

The issue arises mostly from the usage of apps as far as parents are concerned. With Bluetooth being the norm, many drivers are able to answer important calls while still maintaining safe driving habits.

Apps are not as easy to handle. With apps, a person is completely distracted and cannot help but take their eyes off the road. This should bring about great concern for all drivers as distracted driving is now responsible for more car accident injuries than speeding!

Don’t Text and Drive. Ever. For Any Reason.

Alexander Heit is a prime example of the dangers of texting while driving. At just 22 years old, Alexander was like most young adults – invincible. With his life and future looking bright, this young college student ended his days with an unfinished text reading:

“Sounds good my man, seeya soon, ill tw-“

This one brief moment in time was enough to send Alexander into oncoming traffic. One moment of trying to stay connected to the world sent Alexander right into the hospital where he eventually lost his life.

Apps vs. Calls – Should They Be Treated Differently?

Calls can lead to anger, frustration and a lack of judgment. If a person receives a call that their parent died while driving, their judgment will be severely limited. Speeding, erratic driving and lack of attention can all cause an accident in this case. Thankfully, these circumstances are not the norm. With the ability to answer phones in a hands-free manner, it is possible to use a cellphone safely while driving.

Apps are much different. A low signal or bad internet connectivity can cause apps to hang, which further distracts drivers. Depending on the app, a person may spend just as much or more time looking at their phone than Alexander did before his life was cut short.

What Are We to Do?

As the need for new legislation is eminent, there is also the issue of enforcement. There are already laws in place that make distracted driving illegal. Colorado passed legislation banning texting while driving in 2009.  The question remaining now is what else can be done?

The real debate is that laws and penalties need to be more substantial. There needs to be a ban on using handheld devices of any type while driving similar to reckless driving. Taking one’s eyes off the road for even a second is too dangerous to accept. With the advancement of voice-to-text technology, we need to evolve our laws to finally curtail distracted driving from handheld devices.

Attorney Jeremy Rosenthal began his career protecting the legal interests of insurance companies. His knowledge of insurance company strategies and tactics is a big advantage when fighting for your just settlement.

If you’re dealing with an injury due to a distracted driver, the Denver personal injury attorneys from the Law Office of Jeremy Rosenthal can help – and your initial consultation for an injury is always free!

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