On Monday, we began discussing a July 26, 2012, article in the USA Today that examined how motorists should deal with distracted—and thus dangerous—drivers. Among the many pieces of advice that were offered in the piece, here are some of the things you should do if you encounter a motorist who is “driving while intexticated”:
- “A good rule of thumb is, if you determine somebody might be distracted, just go ahead and assume that they don’t see you at all,” William Van Tassel, manager of driver training programs for the Automobile Association of America (AAA), told the USA Today.
- “I’d get away from them, either by traveling on down the road or by slowing down and letting them get ahead of you,” Sergeant Michael Baylous of the state police in West Virginia told the USA Today.
- “If there’s no way to get away from them, then I would call the police,” Baylous added.
- When calling 911, “report not so much that someone is texting while driving, but report the behavior — that they’re driving too fast, too slow, tailgating, weaving,” Chief Randy Cox of the Somerset Borough Police Department in Pennsylvania told the USA Today. “Basically, they’re reporting a potentially impaired driver. Then it’s up to the police officer as to what caused the impairment.”
- “We would never instruct a person to confront an individual,” Captain Roger Lanier of the Lewiston Police Department in Idaho told the USA Today. “There’s no respect for another motorist, in terms of authority. That’s how road rage is spawned.”
Again, Florida does not ban talking or texting on a cell phone while driving, but reporting a motorist who appears to be impaired could result in a citation for careless driving. While we certainly hope that lawmakers in the Sunshine State eventually enact some sort of legislation to address this issue, we must look out for distracted drivers on our highways and take the appropriate steps to avoid being involved in an accident with them. There is additional information about car accidents located on our website.
If you or a loved one has been seriously hurt in an accident caused by a distracted driver, you can either contact our firm at (800) 235-7060 or use the form on this page to have our Orlando personal injury lawyers review your case.
Wooten Kimbrough, P.A. – Orlando personal injury attorneys