Do you know that every year an average of 6 million Americans are involved in car accidents? This shows that so many people aren’t still as careful when driving on the road. One of the most common causes is texting while driving. The thing is when your attention shifts somewhere, your car can become a deadly weapon in matters of seconds. Unfortunately, this is something teenagers, and young adults do a lot. And this has cost them their lives.
Indeed, do be careful. Texting while driving may seem like the norm. You may be tempted to do it. But it would be best if you resisted it. Right off the bat, know that it only takes 5 seconds to get into a bad car accident. And texting could get your eyes off the road when you drive. Would you agree with someone putting a blindfold on you while driving? Not, right? Now, if you still think that texting while driving is OK, here’s a wake-up call. Here are all the bad things that could happen to you when you do.
Increase Your Risk of Dying on the Road
You put yourself in a dangerous position when your attention is somewhere else when driving. And texting while driving is top of that list.
You could either have a car crash or hit a pedestrian. Worse, you could endanger the lives of the people riding with you.
When you’re moving at 55mph, it only takes about 5 seconds of distracted driving for you to get into an accident. And many have. We’re not talking about a dozen lives in jeopardy because of distracted driving. We’re talking about 1.6 million accidents each year as a result of distracted driving. Worse, that’s about eight people dying each day on average all because of distracted driving.
It’s more about being responsible on the road. Many teenagers get into accidents often due to this cause. But many adults do it too. So if you want to stay as safe as possible, put down that phone and drive.
Puts You in Prison
You will be surprised to find out the percentage of people that know that texting while driving is against the law. A large chunk of U.S citizens do. So it’s not a question of ignorance. But instead a question of defiance to the law.
Some laws have been put in place in different states to that effect. The laws may vary a bit, but then the end goal is reducing texting while driving. As of now, 44 states ban texting while driving. And that’s for everyone, millennials or not.
Now, you don’t want to be a lawbreaker. The law is the law. And when broken, there surely are penalties.
The penalty varies in different situations. For starters, it could be a monetary fine ranging from $20-$500. Mostly this depends on the state where the accident occurs. What’s worse, you could get criminal charges. Usually, it could be misdemeanor charges of class B or C.
And yes, it could get as bad as getting a jail or prison term
Damages Your Car
If you think that this is not applicable to you because you have insured your car, then you might be mistaken. For many people, the first step is getting a good insurance plan for their car. No doubt this is a good move.
What happens if your insurer says a particular accident is not covered in the insurance? It happens quite a lot. And it’s the reason why the demand for competent attorney experts for property damage has increased. With their help, you are in a better position to handle the problems you have with your insurer.
Things are even worse if you don’t have your car insured. You would have to deal with the expensive repair cost. If the car is a total wreck, then repairing it would not even be an option. You would have to get a new car. And there’s the rub. It would cost you a lot.
Elevates Your Insurance Premium
The last damage would be an increase in premiums for your car insurance. The process of covering for the cost as an insurance company comes with an investigation. This means that it’s highly likely they would find out that you were texting while driving.
They would have to cover the costs and all. But what happens after is a big surprise for you.
Most likely, you get a bump in your premiums. You’ve been flagged. That way you would have to pay a lot more for insurance. And that could quite take a toll on your finances.
All these are damages that are looming when you text while driving. There is nothing to gain when you text and drive. A few seconds of checking it while driving could end in disaster. All it takes is to discipline yourself. Put that phone down. And everything will be just fine, everyone in your car including.
