In Memory of Heather Lerch: Don’t Let an LOL Become an OMG Part 3 | Toledo, Ohio Car Accident Attorney

Wendy is frequently asked to speak at high school assemblies and in classrooms. Even though it is very painful for her to talk publicly about her daughter's death, she wants to help other parents and teenage drivers understand how deadly cell phone use is while driving. Wendy sees people using their cell phones while driving, and she wants to yell at them to put their phones down. She say's "It's almost an epidemic."

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, distracted driving is defined as any non-driving activity a person engages in that has the potential to distract him or her from the primary task of driving and increase the risk of crashing. Any distraction can endanger a driver's safety; however, texting is the most disturbing because it involves all three types of distraction - visual, manual and cognitive.

The stats of teenage drivers using their cell phones while driving are stunning. Lawmakers are working diligently to pass legislation that bans cell phone use while driving, especially for teen drivers. Thirty states, Washington, D.C., and Guam have currently passed legislation to ban text messaging when driving. Eleven of these laws were passed in 2010.

The president and CEO of the National Safety Council Janet Froetscher says that "Parent involvement is a critical element in teen driver safety." "We ask parents to set rules and enforce consequences. Three rules all parents should enforce include no passengers, no nighttime driving - especially after 10 p.m. but sooner is better - and no cell phone use. This is especially important for novice drivers. These are components of strong GDL laws, and they are rules parents can implement and enforce."

If you have been involved in a car accident call our Toledo, Ohio car accident lawyer at 800.637.8170 to request a free copy of The Ohio Accident Book and set up a free consultation.