June 7, 2012, ERIE, PA — As Pennsylvania car accident attorneys, Tim and I made the commitment two years ago to educate the public about the dangers of texting while driving. Since then, we’ve given more interviews than I can count for the local news media about the dangers of texting and driving and today I was called upon to offer commentary about the recent case in Massachusetts in which a teen driver was convicted and sentenced to at least one year in jail for texting while driving.
The texting while driving interviews will appear tonight and tomorrow on WJET and WFXP, the Erie ABC and FOX affiliates. There’s a lot to be said about this interesting case but the focus, at least in these early days, has to be on the sentence and what it means for drivers going forward. The judge specifically said that the behavior of driving while texting is far more dangerous than most drivers appreciate and that he sentenced the man as he did both to emphasize how dangerous it is to text and drive and to serve as a deterrent to others.
Pennsylvania’s law is not exactly the same as the law in Massachusetts. Still, there are lessons that Pennsylvania drivers ought to draw from the case. First, the behavior of texting while driving really is an incredibly dangerous one and drivers ought to stop the habit immediately. Second, courts are starting to recognize the danger associated with distracted driving and, predictably, they are making examples of early offenders. Third, you don’t want to be one of those early offenders who serve as an example to others.
The Pennsylvania injury lawyers at Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C. will continue in our efforts to publish the risks of driving while texting in Pennsylvania this summer. Although schools are out, there are several employers who have already expressed a willingness to allow us to come to the workplace and make our presentation and we are happy to do it. If you or your group would like an experienced Pennsylvania car accident attorney to make a presentation on the dangerous of distracted driving, call today (814) 273-2010.