Teenagers in Dalton, Georgia, are uniting against texting while driving after a fatal accident killed a local high school student. The students are currently traveling across the state of Georgia to spread the word about the dangers of texting. The group includes a teacher who was instrumental in getting the state to ban texting while driving two years ago. One of the students speaking out is the sister of a teenager who was killed in a fatal accident while he was texting a friend in 2009.
The students are able to spread their message through a Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Grant they have received. The mother of the student who died believes that if a texting ban had been in place at the time of the accident, her son would still be alive. She believes that even though he did not listen to the warnings from his parents, he would have listened to the law.
The head-on fatal accident also severely injured another woman. The woman’s daughter claims that although none of her family died, the accident dramatically changed their lives. Her mother had loved working with horses, so she came to America from Germany on a work visa to do what she loved. After the accident occurred, she suffered injuries so severe that she is permanently unable to ride horses. She believes that the message the teens are spreading about the dangers of texting is saving lives.
The fatal accident in Dalton highlights the dangers of texting behind the wheel. Taking your eyes off the road for a mere second can cause a tragic accident. The woman injured in the accident has an inoperable injury to her neck which prevents her from doing what she loves. Although she survived the accident, losing her livelihood will likely remind her every day of what she has lost. While she likely has legal recourse to receive financial compensation as a result of the injuries she sustained, the article did not say whether or not she pursued a personal injury claim under Georgia law.
Source: The Daily Citizen, “Teens urge drivers not to text behind the wheel,” Rachel Brown, April 25, 2012
