Distracted Driving Awareness Month applauded by Norfolk, Virginia Auto Accident Attorney, but parents must remain vigilant year-round to prevent additional harm and death in our communities.
Norfolk, Virginia (PRWEB) May 02, 2012
April 2012 marked Distracted Driving Awareness Month, a new safety program rolled out nationally this year with the full support of safety advocates, law enforcement agencies and the United States Department of Transportation. Over the course of the month, states around the country joined to deliver one simple message: "One Text or Call Could Wreck it All". But is one month enough to draw attention to a problem this serious? Not according to prominent Norfolk, Virginia Automobile Accident Attorney C. Arthur "Brother" Rutter III, citing a recent study by the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration that shows that distracted driving claims nearly 6,000 lives annually.
With the growth of smart phone sales, distracted driving is a major threat to roadway safety. "As April, and Distracted Driving Awareness month come to a close, we need to realize that the problem of distracted driving is far from over," says Norfolk, Virginia Attorney C. Arthur "Brother" Rutter III."As attorneys dealing with auto accident claims every day, we are seeing more and more serious, and even fatal accidents coming as a result of texting and driving."
Teen drivers continue to be more likely than other age groups to be involved in a fatal crash caused by distracted driving. In 2009, the NHTSA reported that 16% of teen drivers involved in a fatal crash were reported to have been distracted. Summer in particular has proven to be an extremely dangerous time for teen drivers according to a recent AAA study finding. With the summer right around the corner, Rutter hopes we can build on the momentum of awareness raised by Distracted Driving Awareness Month. "Hopefully more and more parents will see the seriousness of the distracted driving problem, and not only speak with their children about the issue but lead by example."
A 2010 study done by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute shows that text messaging while driving creates a crash risk 23 times higher than driving while not distracted. The same study showed that sending or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent at 55 mph of driving the length of an entire football field, blind.
Rutter says. "If you don't already think distracted driving is a major safety problem, you need to take some time to do some research. We fully support any efforts to bring this issue to the forefront and hope that through education about the dangers of distracted driving, that the public will think twice before they text or talk on the phone when they are behind the wheel."
C. Arthur "Brother" Rutter is a Managing Partner of the Rutter Mills Law Firm, with locations in Norfolk, Newport News, and Roanoke, Virginia. Rutter Mills has spent over 50 years protecting the rights of clients injured in Auto Accidents. Learn more about Rutter Mills Auto Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers at http://www.ruttermills.com.
For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prwebRutterMills/AutoAccidentLawyerNorfolk/prweb9461838.htm
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