By Attorney George Lorenzo, Guest Writer
Earlier this month, five students and two adults were taken to a Tampa hospital after a distracted driver struck students and parents while they waited at a school bus stop. Three of the children are 6 years old, and the eldest is 12.
According to news sources:
“In the Tampa crash, witnesses said a Ford Escort driving at a high rate of speed in a residential area hit several pedestrians on the side of the street, Tampa police spokesman Eddy Durkin said. Police later said it was unclear whether the driver was speeding.”
This is only the latest in a stream of similar car accidents that have taken place around the country within the same week. In Indiana, three children were struck and killed while crossing the street to their stop, and a Mississippi driver found a child lying on the side of the road after being hit by a car.
One wonders what the last straw will be — when will drivers realize that distracted driving has too high of a price to take part in even once in a while?
Distracted driving takes many forms. Anything from fielding children in the back seat to adjusting the radio or texting and driving. Anything that takes away complete concentration from the road is considered distracted driving, and any one of these actions could cause a similar accident to the ones at these bus stops.
These stories are disturbing. But it’s important to remember that those responsible didn’t set out to cause such heartache when they got in the driver’s seat. Distracted driving can cause an accident at any time and with anyone behind the wheel, including you or me.
In the amount of time it takes to check a text message, anything could happen before you have a chance to realize what’s happening.
As a Tampa car accident attorney, I see the real-life consequences of such mistakes and the long-term effects it has on a family.
For this reason, I want to take this moment to say:
Whoever you are, always drive safely and free from distractions. If hearing about students getting hit by a car at a school bus stop angers you, then do your part to prevent such accidents by putting your phone and other devices away when behind the wheel. It can wait.
If you find yourself the victim of distracted driving, contacting an experienced attorney at Lorenzo & Lorenzo can help you get back to your normal sooner. Contact us for a free consultation.
George Lorenzo has been practicing law for nearly 30 years. He is a co-founder of Lorenzo & Lorenzo, a Tampa, FL personal injury law, specializing in auto accidents cases and more.
Did you ever wonder why the signs at exits on freeways for restaurants, motels, and gas station never have more than 6 logos per sign? Careful research showed that most people could perceive 6 logos in about two seconds, and two seconds was the longest safe time to divert attention from the driving environment.
To: James Walker
When you drove on the German Autobahn about 2 or 3 years ago did you hit speeds of 150-180 km/hr(93-112 mph)? Those speeds seem realistic even for some interstate highways here in America. Doesn’t distracted driving cause more accidents than even driving at high speeds like the ones above? I read once about a lady who set her cruise at the speed limit of 70 mph and watched Netflix while driving. She hit the concrete median and totalled her vehicle. Wouldn’t that be more unsafe than someone driving 100-110 mph while paying attention to the road?
The free market will solve this. The insurance companies must invalidate policies of people convicted of talking on their phone if it leads to an accident.