Is Texting or Talking on a Cellphone Illegal?
A bill to ban the use of handheld phones while driving was defeated in the 2011 Legislature. However, North Carolina does outlaw the following conduct while driving:
- Text messaging, e-mail, or Internet use by any drivers
- Cellphone use by under-18 drivers on a provisional license
- Cellphone use by school bus drivers
Text Messaging Drivers Are a Ticking Time Bomb
- According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, handheld devices (cellphone, iPod, PDA, GPS) are so distracting that those drivers are four times as likely to be involved in an injury crash.
- A study by the University of Utah revealed that texting while driving reduces reaction times the same as if the driver had a blood-alcohol level of .08 (legally drunk).
- The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute revealed that a texting driver looks away from the road for an average of five seconds, long enough to travel 100 yards at highway speed.
Teenagers have the highest rates of cellphone use and texting. An inexperienced driver whose attention is diverted by text messages is a recipe for disaster. However, texting while driving is a bad habit for many adults who should know better. At any age it is illegal, and it is unforgivably negligent if it results in someone’s injury or death.
Contact Our Charlotte Texting While Driving Accident Attorneys
Contact us today for a free initial consultation. We handle personal injury, auto accidents, and wrongful death lawsuits in Charlotte, Monroe, Concord, Kannapolis, Mooresville, Gastonia, Shelby, and throughout the Southern Piedmont region of North Carolina. Our attorneys obtain police reports and witness statements, and we can subpoena the driver’s cell phone records if necessary to prove that he or she was texting at the time.
You can talk with one of our lawyers free of charge to learn about your options for compensation. Call toll-free at 800-948-0577 or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our lawyers.
