Car Crashes Involving Social Media Apps
Social media can keep people in touch with one another with just a touch of a button, or touch-screen, for that matter. A single tap on a smartphone or tablet can provide anyone with up-to-the-minute celebrity gossip, pictures of friends and family, and news from the other side of the world.
Injuries Caused by Distracted Drivers
In just a decade, social media has become second nature to the millions of Americans who use it daily. However, its familiarity doesn’t mean that people use it responsibly. Thousands of injuries yearly can be attributed to someone being distracted while using their mobile devices while operating a vehicle. In fact, a recent report by the AAA shows us that distraction is a factor in 6 out of 10 moderate to severe crashes involving teens.
California Vehicle Code
Not only is this incredibly dangerous, it’s also illegal. According to California vehicle code 23123.5:
A person shall not drive a motor vehicle while using an electronic wireless communications device to write, send, or read a text-based communication, unless the electronic wireless communications device is specifically designed and configured to allow voice-operated and hands-free operation to dictate, send, or listen to a text-based communication, and it is used in that manner while driving. (leginfo.ca.gov)
Despite the law, many people continue to use mobile devices while driving. Some popular social media apps are more tempting than others. Snapchat is a hugely successful photo-based social media app with a “speed filter.” The filter will superimpose the current speed, measured in miles per hour, onto the image when it was taken. This has allegedly led to at least one serious car accident, where a teenage driver, with three passengers in her car, rear-ended another vehicle while she was allegedly driving at 107 miles per hour.
Stockton Car Accidents Involving Social Media Apps
In Stockton, drivers could be distracted while watching videos on Instagram on Interstate 5 while on the way to Zaps Zone or taking selfies for Facebook while driving to Sharky’s. Regardless of the distraction, anyone who causes a car accident due to using a cell phone while operating a vehicle could be prosecuted under California laws.
If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a car accident and you think they were driving distracted, you may be entitled to compensation.
Stockton Car Accident and Wrongful Death Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Stockton wrongful death lawyer. If you or a loved one has been severely injured or lost their life in a motor vehicle collision, please call me at (209) 227-1931 for free, friendly advice. Or, dial me toll-free at (800) 404-5400. I’ve been helping seriously injured Northern California residents with their personal injury claims and wrongful death actions for more than 33 years.
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