How Distracted Driving Can Lead to Car Accidents in Maryland (Part A)

Maryland collisions happen every day, and while causal factors such as speeding, failure to adhere to the rules of the road and intoxicated driving remain strong contributors, the growing and persistent dangers of distracted driving are becoming clearer to both motorists and lawmakers. If you have been injured in a car accident in Maryland that was caused by another driver's distracted operation of a vehicle, contact a Baltimore County injury attorney.

Distracted Driving and Maryland Laws

Americans have developed the habit of doing almost everything on the go. We eat, talk, work and even entertain ourselves from our cars. Widespread GPS technology has all but banished the days when a road trip or car ride was planned and routed beforehand, and the convenience and frequency of text message communication has placed smartphone users who don't text and drive in the minority.

The problem became so serious in Maryland that a state law was passed in 2009 banning texting while driving, and another law was passed in the fall of 2010 that makes it illegal for drivers to use hand-held cell phones at all.

The laws allow police officers to stop motorists who are observed to be texting while driving, but using a hand-held phone is still only a secondary offense, which means that a driver has to be pulled over for another infraction in order for police to issue a citation for hand-held phone usage.

A study by the Governors Highway Safety Association released in July 2011 showed that on average, drivers are distracted between 25% and 50% of the time they are operating a car.

When you're in a car accident in Maryland that was caused by another driver's distracted operation of a vehicle, reach out to a Baltimore County injury attorney who can help.

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