Maryland has the dubious distinction of having had the first documented case of distracted driving – a Maryland woman talking on her phone while driving crossed a median, flipped her vehicle, and killed five people. That distracted driving accident happened over 10 years ago, and distracted driving has grown to a nationwide debate and even more horrific car crashes.
Last year in Missouri, a teen driver sent and received 11 text messages in the 11 minutes before he rear-ended a truck at 55 mph. The collision started a chain-reaction crash that killed two people and injured 38 others. Many of the injured were children on school buses.
Distractions are not just limited to accidents and mishaps while driving automobiles. Operators of trains and boats have caused injuries and fatalities while operating a cell phone on the job. Last year’s incident where airline pilots overflew their destination by 100 miles was due to the pilots using their laptops while piloting the plane. Fortunately, there were no injuries in that incident.
Shockingly, the New York Times reported an incident where a neurosurgeon talked on his wireless headset throughout an operation. As a result, the distraction left his patient paralyzed. The doctor’s phone records revealed that he made at least 10 personal phone calls during the operation.
What other distractions have you seen caused by cell phones? Contact our office today.