Did you know that nearly forty percent of New Jersey car accidents with fatalities or injuries were the result of teenagers and other drivers texting and/or using cell phones while driving? Distracted drivers on New Jersey roads — such as drivers texting or using cell phones while driving — are an accident waiting to happen. The question is not if they will cause a car crash, but when it will occur. During 2009, almost 6,000 people died due to inattentive drivers and their careless ways. Some 450,000 people were injured that same year in the United States thanks to people who took their minds off their driving and decided it was more important to send a text or make a phone call while driving.

Of those who drive while distracted, teenagers are the most frequent offenders. One out of eight teens who died in a car accident was distracted by texting or using a cell phone while driving. The problem is epidemic in New Jersey and across the country. A whopping 40 percent of teenagers have admitted that they rode in a car in which the driver was inattentive, thus endangering the lives of passengers and other motorists. Nearly 45 percent of drivers between the ages of 18 and 29 have confessed to surfing the Internet while driving.

Here are 3 common classifications of distracted driving:

All three of these classifications of distracted driving frequently result in car accidents within the state of New Jersey and around the country.

Just texting one message takes a driver’s eyes off the road for nearly 5 seconds. That could be compared to driving blindly for 100 yards at 55 mph. It’s also comparable to driving with a blood alcohol content of .08—the legal limit in New Jersey. Texting detracts from the driver’s manual, visual and cognitive abilities.

Cell phone use and texting may be the chief culprits, but there are other common types of distracted driving. These include:

New Jersey has tough distracted driving laws for good reason. Drivers may not text or use a cell phone. On sight, policemen and State Troopers may pull over anyone using a cell phone to help prevent texting accidents. These laws went into effect in 2008, but in 2013 the fines were increased dramatically. New Jersey bus drivers are especially prohibited from any sort of cell phone use or texting because they result in bus and truck accidents.

Distracted driving is serious business. At the New Jersey law firm of Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman, we were named to the Best New Jersey Personal Injury Lawyers list by the Best Lawyers in America publication. Our team has extensive experience in handling cases for victims of texting and driving accidents, which were caused by distracted drivers, such as a $3.55 million dollar settlement for a 11 year old boy who was killed when another driver ran a stop sign and crashed into the vehicle his father was driving. We will protect the rights of people who were injured in a car accident caused by a distracted driver, whether that person was operating a car, truck, bus or tractor-trailer. Cell phone records tell the story, and we make it our duty to discover any evidence that will prove liability.

If you or a loved one has been in a car accident with a driver who was texting, using their cell phone or otherwise driving while distracted, please contact Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman. One of our experienced texting and driving lawyers will reply as soon as possible to discuss your case.