cellphone

Published on: August 23, 2021

Would A Hands Free Law Reduce Car Accidents In Alabama? Let’s Look At The Data!

Distracted Driving. Why do I write about this topic so frequently? It’s because I talk to people injured in Alabama car accidents on a daily basis. Far too many of them were hurt in crashes caused by a distracted driver.

I’ve reviewed crashes involving lots of different distractions. Drivers distracted by other passengers. Drivers distracted by searching for something in the car. Drivers distracted by social media while driving. I have even worked cases with drivers distracted by watching videos while driving. Many distractions are possible. But, the biggest factor for distracted driving is the cell phone. By far!

I’ve written several past articles about efforts in Alabama to pass a true hands-free law. You can read a couple of them here:

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Published on: June 28, 2021

Do Road Conditions Contribute To The Number Of Distracted Drivers?

By Jeff Blackwell

Over the years, I’ve seen numerous studies showing specific states had higher or lower rates of distracted drivers. The results among different studies are often inconsistent. Different studies lead to different findings. In one, Alabama may be listed as a state with a higher rate of distracted driving. In another study, Alabama may be lower.

These different studies often have a common problem. What is it? It’s the sample. These different studies often sample only a small percentage of drivers in a specific area. A sample of driver activities within the city limits of Huntsville is likely to be very different than a sample from nearby rural Jackson County. It’s not the drivers who make the results different. It’s the driving conditions. The differences are due to traffic volumes and road conditions. How can you take one of these studies and say it reflects driver behavior across an entire state? You cannot.

If you want to understand driver behavior, you really should look at the actual roadway conditions drivers face. Look at specific highway or traffic situations. How do drivers facing specific situations behave?

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Published on: April 26, 2021

Zooming And Driving? Did The Pandemic Make Distracted Driving Worse?

By Jeff Blackwell

During the month of April, safety groups focus on the issue of Distracted Driving. Nationwide, April is commonly referred to as Distracted Driving Awareness Month. At our office, distracted driving is a year-round focus. Many of our accident and injury cases involve distracted driving. While most involve a cell phone, not all do.

Has the coronavirus pandemic impacted distracted driving?

During the COVID-19 shutdowns, our roads saw far fewer cars. With school closures and remote workers, morning traffic in Huntsville looked very different. Pre-COVID, traffic coming into Huntsville over Monte Sano was bumper-to-bumper during rush hour. Not so during the shutdowns!

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Published on: May 20, 2019

Is Hands-Free Really Safer?

By Jeff Blackwell

The Alabama Legislature has been debating bills that would prohibit the use of handheld devices like cellphones while driving. Last year, Georgia passed a similar hands-free law. Is hands-free safer? Will a hands-free law reduce needless car accidents and injuries in Alabama?

A National Safety Council public opinion poll indicates 80% of drivers believe hands-free devices are safer. Yet, safety experts remain doubtful. The Senior Director of the Transportation Initiative at the National Safety Council had this to say on the topic:

While many drivers honestly believe they are making the safe choice by using a hands-free device, it’s just not true.

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Published on: April 22, 2019

Will Alabama Pass A Hands-Free Cellphone Law For Drivers?

By Jeff Blackwell

Distracted driving is a frequent topic on my blog. This month is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. So, it’s a perfect time to discuss proposals currently pending in the Alabama Legislature to prevent drivers from holding their cellphone while driving.

Last year, Georgia enacted a hands-free law for drivers. Will Alabama pass similar legislation? As I write this post, I checked the Alabama Legislature information website concerning pending bills. The website lists two hands-free bills currently making their way through the legislative process. I read both bills and they are almost identical. These two pending bills are: HB6 and HB404. You can access the legislative information website HERE.

I’ll focus here on HB6 which was introduced by Representative Allen Farley. If passed, it will be known as Cici’s Law. Local channel WHNT posted an article telling Cici’s story. Cici was 17 and just months shy of graduating from high school. On February 28, 2018, she was driving home from work down Interstate 65. She had a bright future and a loving family. While driving home, she was recording a message on her phone — a Happy Birthday message to a friend. She briefly looked down. When she looked back up, it was too late. She was not speeding. Still, she had no time to stop and went underneath an 18 wheeler stopped in front of her.

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