Father Lobbies Arizona Legislature to Pass Texting While Driving Ban

Posted on March 8, 2011 by David Boyles

A California father whose son was killed by a driver who didn't see him because she was texting is lobbying the Arizona Legislature to pass a texting while driving ban. Robert Okerblom's 19-year-old son Eric was hit and killed by a teen driver who was texting in 2009. Okerblom now runs the Eric Okerblom foundation, which advocates for tougher distracted driving laws around the country.

Eric Okerblom was a freshman at the University of California Berkeley who planned to join the cycling team in his sophomore year. He was cycling in daylight on a straight country road when he was struck and killed by the teen driver. Okerblom and his attorney subpoened the phone records and discovered that driver had been texting at the time of the accident.

Okerblom's foundation has organized a cross-country bike ride to raise awareness of distracted driving and lobby for laws against it. The ride began last month in California and is now passing through Arizona. The ride is specifically going through states that have little or no regulation of distracted driving, such as Arizona.

State Senator Al Melvin and Representative Steve Farley both have bills in their respective chambers to ban texting while driving. Farley first introduced his bill in 2007, but it has not garnered enough support. Since 2007, 30 states and the District of Columbia have passed distracted driving laws.
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Oprah Warns People About Texting While Driving

Posted on May 13, 2010 by David Boyles

In an Op-Ed column in last Sunday's New York Times, Oprah Winfrey warned about the dangers of texting while driving.  Oprah compared the rise of cell phone and texting-related deaths to the rise of drunk driving deaths in 1970s and explained her own policy of forbidding her employees of using cell phones for company business while driving.

Oprah described her experiences as a reporter in the 1970s, when drunk-driving deaths became so common as to barely merit a mention on the nightly news.  She also described how since 1980, drunk-driving deaths have been cut in half thanks to driver education and tougher laws.  She then describes meeting with the family of a 9-year-old girl who was killed by someone who was texting while driving and argues that we need to crack down on texting and cell phone use in the same way we cracked down on drunk driving.  She cites a Department of Transportation study that says that at least 6,000 people were killed by distracted drivers in 2008.

Oprah explains that she has forbidden her employees to use cell phones for business while driving.  This follows President Obama forbidding federal employees from doing the same.  She says that some of her employees initially complained but have adjusted.  As Oprah says, "Life is more precious than taking a call or answering an e-mail message. Because even though we think we can handle using our cellphone in the car, the loss of thousands of lives has shown we can’t."

Distracted driving is a serious problem in Arizona, but so far only Phoenix has banned texting and driving.  If you or someone you love has been injured or killed by a distracted driver, you should contact an Arizona auto accident attorney immediately.

 For more information on the dangers of cell phone use while driving, visit Solomon and Relihan's Cell Phone Car Accidents information page.
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Teen Texting While Driving on the Rise

Posted on December 23, 2009 by Martin Solomon

If you're wondering why the car ahead of you keeps drifting out of its lane, consider that this year one trillion text messages were sent by drivers. This shocking fact is revealed in a major study that also indicates the rate of teens texting while driving is on the rise.

This trend is disturbing considering the huge distraction texting poses. Reuters news service reports that texting makes drivers 23 times more likely to be in an accident. Teens texting will surely be at greater risk when their lack of driving experience is factored in. However, in a survey teens reported little concern about the dangers of texting while driving. This growing danger has lead for the call to create a national texting while driving ban.

Phoenix is one of a few cities that does have a ban on texting while driving. But, this does not necessarily mean Arizona roads are safer. In the survey, teens admitted to ignoring such laws. Police also state the laws are notoriously difficult to enforce.

Given that teens and young adults are so reliant on mobile technology and texting, signs point to continued texting even if a national ban is passed. If you are ever in an accident and suspect the driver was texting at the time, that fact may be critical in helping you hold the negligent driver accountable. Your best option is to contact an experienced accident attorney who can help bring that fact to light.
 

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