Related: More Enforcement For Kentucky Texting While Driving Laws
What caused this law in New Jersey?
The Appellate Division of New Jersey Superior Court’s ruling stems from a September 2009 case in which a couple was seriously injured when their motorcycle was hit by a pickup truck. This pickup truck was driven by a teen driver who was texting his girlfriend. David and Linda Kubert, of Dover, both lost their left legs. The teen driver, Kyle Best, of Wharton, pleaded guilty to using a handheld cell phone while driving, careless driving and failure to maintain a lane. He admitted that he was texting with his girlfriend, Shannon Colonna.
Can the sender of a text be sued?
While the lawsuit against Best has been settled, the Kuberts have also sued Colonna for sending Best text messages while he was driving and distracting him. The couple wanted both the sender and receiver be held accountable. However, the lower court dismissed the lawsuit against Colonna and the appeals court upheld the lower court’s decision. The New Jersey courts says that the necessary evidence to prove breach of the remoter texter’s duty is absent in the present case. The court explained that a remote texter has a duty not to text someone who is driving if the texter knows the recipient will read the text while on the road. In that accident case, it was not established that Colonna was aware Best would be reading her text while driving.
Statistics
- About 13% of drivers ages 18-20 who are involved in car crashes admit to texting or talking on their cell phones at the time of the accident
- The age group under 20 is considered to have the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted.
- In 2011, 3,331 people were killed in crashes involving distracted drivers and 387,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving the same.
Related: The Dangers of Distracted Driving
How do you prove whether or not the sender knew the person was driving?
The recent New Jersey court ruling has spurred various questions, opinions and views. Should a person be punished for texting a driver? How can you prove that a texter knew or had the knowledge that recipient of their message was driving? Is extending personal liability fair or unfair?
Distracted driving is an epidemic in the country and many lives have been ruined and wasted. In previous distraction-affected crashes, it is only the driver who carries the sole liability, sparing the texter. The question now arises, is it about time to extend the liability to text senders and make anti-texting laws tougher? Does it all boil down to the responsibility of every driver to obey the law and keep safe control of his vehicle?