The Alabama state legislature is for the third time considering a bill that would prohibit drivers from sending and receiving text messages while operating a moving vehicle. Currently, between 25 and 30 cities and communities in the state of Alabama have passed local ordinances prohibiting texting while driving. A statewide ban has previously been considered twice without being made into law, the current iteration of the ban has not come up for a vote, but some legislators say it has strong support in the Alabama State Senate. Some local law enforcement officers have spoken out in favor of the ban, citing the poor driving habits exhibited by motorists. Distracted drivers are responsible for thousands of traffic collisions each year, resulting in hundreds of deaths, according to data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Research conducted by the safety administration indicates that drivers sending or receiving text based communications on a handheld communication device take their eyes away rom the road for an average of 4.6 seconds at a time, and texting while driving makes the likelihood of becoming involved in a traffic collision approximately 23 times greater.
As a car accident lawyer in Fresno, I am well aware of the damage that drivers can cause when they become distracted. If you have been injured in a collision involving an inattentive motorist, please consider discussing your case with a Fresno personal injury attorney.