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The texting-while-driving hack that increases crash risk

On Behalf of | Nov 21, 2022 | Car Accidents |

Oklahoma has state laws against texting while driving. You could end up ticketed for texting at the wheel. Those involved in a crash who have their phone in hand prior to the wreck could end up declared liable for the collision and any damages that resulted.

Plenty of people try to work around the prohibition on texting at the wheel. One of the more common solutions or hacks involves turning off the ringer on the phone and only handling the device when stopped at a red light.

The problem with only texting at an intersection is that the driver will remain distracted after they pull away from the intersection.

Phones affect your brain even after you set them down

It takes most of your mental focus to compose a text message or read something off of a screen. Someone with their phone in their hand at an intersection could easily set the phone down quickly after reading or dictating a message, allowing them to get both of their hands back on the steering wheel.

Unfortunately, research into how your brain works while driving proves that those who text at an intersection will be dangerous for almost half a minute after putting their phone back down. The cognitive aftereffects of digital distraction take 27 seconds to fully end after you put down your phone.

Until that time passes, a driver will have longer overall reaction times and will have a harder time making the right decisions at the wheel when unusual circumstances arise. The moments when passing through an intersection are some of the most dangerous for the average driver, which is why it is crucial that people have their full attention on road safety even when stopped at a red light.

You can hold a distracted driver accountable

If there are phone company records or camera footage of the other driver with their phone in their hand at the intersection, you could hold them accountable for a crash that happened after they passed through the intersection. You could potentially have grounds for a claim against their liability insurance or even a civil lawsuit If you experience extreme losses or they have bad insurance coverage.

Knowing your rights after a distracted driving car crash in Oklahoma can help you pass the costs of that collision on to the responsible party.