Have you recently spotted a driver using their cellphone, eating or otherwise taking their attention off the road? If it happened in Louisiana, chances are pretty good the driver was a teenager.
According to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, one in four teens surveyed admitted texting or talking on the phone while driving at least once in the previous 30 days. Since the teens self-reported this behavior, it is easy to assume that the actual rate of distracted driving among Louisiana’s teen drivers is even higher.
Louisiana’s laws on distracted driving
The state’s anti-distracted driving law bans texting and driving. Other cellphone use is allowed, except among drivers under 16 and in school zones. But just because talking and using apps on smartphones is legal in Louisiana does not mean it is safe. Studies have repeatedly proven that drivers who are distracted by their phones are much more likely to cause a serious car wreck than a motorist focused on safe driving. This is an especially big problem for younger drivers, who lack experience behind the wheel, and should be developing better driving habits.
Distracted drivers often terrible injuries
Unfortunately, too often, the price of a distracted teenage driver is paid by an innocent person. Their victim could be in another vehicle, crossing the street, or riding their bike. Whatever they were doing before the crash, they could be badly injured. Some car crashes are unavoidable, but when a distracted driver injures people, they are financially responsible for those people’s injuries under Louisiana law.
If you were hurt in an auto crash and suspect the other driver was distracted, proving it can be complicated. An experienced personal injury attorney would know the signs of a possible distracted driving wreck and how to build a strong case to present the insurance company or, if necessary, a jury.