In recent years, Tingey Injury Law firm attorneys have been eyewitnesses to a steady stream of tragedies resulting from people texting while driving in their home state of Nevada. Fortunately, the 2010s saw a decrease in distracted driving — largely due to tough laws. With a new decade underway, Tingey attorneys are urging state residents to continue the positive trends in distraction-free driving.
For 50 years, Tingey’s team of personal injury lawyers has been representing victims of motor vehicle accidents to include pedestrian, motorcycle, and semi-truck accidents. The team includes spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury attorneys who are equipped to deal with even the most devastating car wrecks.
According to firm attorney Dean Tingey, the most tragic thing about distracted driving accidents is that they are entirely preventable.
“A lot can go wrong on the road, and blame isn’t always clear-cut depending on vehicle function, visibility, and other factors, but distracted driving is a different story,” said Tingey. “We have seen many lives shattered by drivers’ conscious decisions to take their eyes off of the road and focus on something else.”
Tingey said that his firm was pleased to hear about a decrease in fatalities in distracted driving nationwide and in Nevada. According to recently-released statistics from the National Safety Council, 2,841 people died in distraction-affected crashes in 2018, but that was a 12% decrease from the previous year, and the third consecutive yearly decrease.
As for Nevada, the state has the third-lowest number of distraction-related driving fatalities as compared to total fatalities. This finding is according to an analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data from 2013 to 2017 as performed by insurance comparison platform QuoteWizard and released at the end of last year. Of Nevada’s 2,162 total driving fatalities in that time span, 44 were distraction-related. By contract, New Mexico, the state with the worst record in the study, had 2,287 total fatalities, and 604 were caused by distracted drivers.
The QuoteWizard analysis affirmed that distracted driving fatalities are down nationwide, with distracted driving deaths accounting for 5.3% of all driving fatalities in 2017 compared to 6.2% in 2013.
Tingey said that the firm’s attorneys strongly believe Nevada’s no-tolerance legislation is helping to drive the state’s improvement. Nevada has one of the strictest policies in the country, barring drivers from using a handheld device to text, talk on the phone or get on the internet while driving. Penalties range from $50 for a first offense up to $250 for a third offense.
Tingey’s experienced team of car accident attorneys is urging Nevada drivers to bring the distracted-motorist statistics down to zero by committing to put their phone away while driving. For those who have trouble resisting the dings and swooshes from their phones, they recommend installing an app to block incoming texts or calls while driving. They also recommend a dashboard phone mount for those using their phones for navigation.
Tingey attorneys also encourage drivers to limit other non-phone distractions by avoiding eating while driving and pulling off the road if fatigue is interfering with their driving.
“In an age of instant gratification, it’s all too tempting to want to get to multiple things at once, but there’s too much at stake for that mindset when people are behind the wheel,” said Tingey.
To learn more about Tingey Injury Law Firm and their track record in representing victims of car accidents, slip and fall injuries, wrongful death, work injuries, and more, visit www.TingeyLawFirm.com or call (702) 333-0000.
About Tingey Injury Law Firm
Tingey Injury Law Firm aims to provide the highest quality legal representation and counsel for those affected by personal injuries in Las Vegas. Cases include auto accident, wrongful death, work injury, personal injury (such as a slip and fall, or trip and fall), or dog bite. Their attorneys maintain a reputation for thoroughness and preparedness that is recognized in the local community.
