Distracted driving is a reality that has increased the risk of accidents all across the country. It’s because the number of crashes has been going up because of distractions that lawmakers in Washington and other states strengthened their distracted driving laws.
But sometimes, those lawmakers who were the most enthusiastic about the law are also guilty of distracted driving. Thankfully, we’re all equal before the law and we will all be pulled over and reprimanded as stipulated by the law if we fail to follow it.
Unfortunately for an Oregon legislator, that’s exactly what happened.
According to a series of news reports, a state representative from our neighboring state was caught using her cell phone while behind the wheel.
The lawmaker was driving to a studio for an interview when she reached out for her phone for directions. But according to Oregon’s new law, which she supported, you cannot use your phone while operating a car.
Thanks to this move, she was pulled over and given a citation.
Nationwide, distracted driving causes thousands of crashes but in Oregon, the act causes at least 2,400 accidents yearly.
As more deadly accidents associated with distracted driving are reported, drivers are urged to pay attention to the risks associated with the activity. Instead of allowing your attention to be diverted by your phone either by a text, the GPS, or a call, drivers must keep in mind that their focus should be on driving itself.
In Washington, lawmakers have recently passed a new distracted driving law that adds a series of phone-related activities to list of prohibited activities. As personal injury lawyers, this change is important to us because we often help victims of accidents caused by distracted driving. We want car owners and operators all across the Evergreen state to remember that driving while distracted isn’t just illegal, it’s serious and may even lead to deadly accidents.
If you’re serious about your safety, you will remember this and avoid accidents by putting your phone down.
