Posted: April 23, 2012
As a Cincinnati car accident injury lawyer I know that texting kills. Ohio should enact a law without delay. Currently the house has passed a law and it sits in the Senate. Recently a pragmatic and highly intelligent and concerned State Senator William Seitz has gone on record as to the problems with the bill. Republican Senator Bill Seitz was reported as saying, "It's a feel good law that's not going to accomplish very much," Seitz pointed out that we already have a reckless driving statute. He also has concerns about enforcing the law and the numerous exceptions to it. Certainly valid points, but things that could be worked through. Maybe we should go even farther and say no use of cell phones unless they are hands free. After all just dialing a phone number on a cell phone can take your eyes off the road long enough for a crash to occur. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that over six years, 16,141 Americans died in crashes directly caused by texting, a University of North Texas study reported. The National Safety Council reports that cell-phone use causes 1.6 million crashes a year. The evidence is clear. It has led 35 states and the District of Columbia to adopt bans already. Danny Fischer of Hydy Park has written great article on his opinion about texting. He apparently was angry enough to contact Bill Seitz and one again I'm surprised at Senator Seitz's reaction. Here is what Mr Fischer said about his communication with Senator Seitz: Synopsizing his article in an email to me, he indicated that he felt that the issue was sufficiently handled through the civil justice system, and that it’s merely negligent, not criminal behavior. If the senator had left it at that, I would’ve agreed to disagree. However, he also added: “I suspect the truth of the matter is that some individuals are able to text and drive while others are not, just as some people type faster than others.” Fischer indicated the issue is at minimum deterrence and questioned whether he got it. You get it Mr Fischer and I applaud your efforts. Senator Seitz will come around. He's a deep thinker. Let's just keep him thinking. If I was injured by a texting car driver or one using a cell phone I would consider bringing a claim for compensatory damages as well as punitive damages to punish this willful misconduct. AAA of Ohio has recently started a billboard campaign. One wonders how smart that really is. Don't you have to take your eyes off the road to see a billboard. And as a motorcycle rider this is just one more thing that concerns me for my motorcycle riding friends. But it certainly is not limited to the safety of motorcyclists . Texting and cell phone use while driving kills. There's no doubt about it. Anthony Castelli Attorney Cincinnati, Ohio 513-621-2345 Attorney Castelli has previously blogged on texting and driving at Cincinnati Personal injury and Accident Attorney Blog .