There are steep penalties in Vermont for violating texting and driving laws. The state goes a long way to alert drivers of the dangers of texting and driving, and even on its official website, it begins the enumeration of penalties and laws with the following statement: "Did you know that if you are driving 70 mph, you’re traveling 100 feet per second. While writing just a 3 second text message, you can go the length of a football field without looking at the road…" And before getting behind the wheel, make sure you know what to do in the event of a car accident in Vermont.

Nationally, the statistics surrounding texting and driving are grim: 

• The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year.

• Nearly 390,000 injuries occur each year from accidents caused by texting while driving.

• 1 out of every 4 car accidents in the United States is caused by texting and driving.

• Texting while driving is 6x more likely to cause an accident than driving drunk.

• Answering a text takes away your attention for about five seconds which at 55 mph is enough time to travel 300 ft without looking.

• Texting while driving causes a 400% increase in time spent with eyes off the road.

These days, when an automobile accident occurs, police are likely to quickly ascertain whether a cell phone was a factor in the accident. In the state of Vermont, law enforcement has the authority to obtain all cell phone records to determine if someone was using a cell phone at the time of the accident. In the case of a personal injury lawsuit involving the suspicion or validation by police that a driver was texting or talking on a phone at the time of an accident, cellphone records can be used to prove recklessness or negligence.  Along with using cell phone records to prove distracted driving, law enforcement can often make a review of traffic video and footage from traffic cameras.

If you or someone you know was in an accident and believes that distracted driving might have been a factor, a Brady / Donahue personal injury attorney would most likely recreate the  circumstances of the accident, examine medical reports, review possible accident traffic footage, talk to witnesses, and review any evidence – including cell phone records and the driving history of the drivers involved – in order to assess the likelihood of distracted driving. If the distracted driver happened to be on the job, your lawyer will most like view a lawsuit against the distracted driver’s employer, which is an important added possibility. 

If in the unfortunate event an accident occurs, don’t hesitate to schedule a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer at Brady / Donahue by calling 802-885-2001, or fill out our quick contact form.