Texting and driving has received a lot of attention both in the media and in the halls of government, including the Texas Legislature, of late, and it is little surprise that such is the case.
After all, this sort of behavior is dangerous because it takes a person’s mind and even eyes off the road, leaving them completely unaware that they are about to rear-end a vehicle, hit a pedestrian or otherwise cause a very serious or even fatal accident.
If there is a down side to all of the hype, however, it would be that it leaves Killeen and Fort Hood residents with the impression that cell phone or electronic device usage is the only type of distracted driving that is worth worrying about. In fact, such is not the case.
Indeed, the most common type of distracted driving which leads to fatal accidents is just daydreaming or drifting off for no particular reason whatsoever. Of those distracted drivers involved in deadly accidents, almost two-thirds, over 60 percent, blamed daydreaming or general mindlessness. By comparison, 14 percent of distracted drivers were reportedly on their phones at the time of their accident.
Even if no cell phone is involved, it is important to remember that Killeen residents who are victims of distracted drivers, for whatever reason, can hold those drivers accountable for their actions via a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. Texas drivers are under an obligation to pay attention to the road and to be ready to respond when they are able to do so. When they fail in this obligation, it is only fair that their victims can recover things like medical expenses and lost wages from them.