The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched a series of video testimonials regarding the deadly consequences of distracted driving. New York car accident lawyers are frequently called to represent clients who have been injured or killed by a distracted driver.
“In 2009, distracted driving killed nearly 5,500 people and injured half a million more but statistics never tell the whole story,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. “Behind these numbers are children, parents, neighbors and friends. They’re families torn apart by senseless, preventable crashes.”
The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles reports nearly 600 accidents were caused by cell phones last year — a number likely under-reported.
“Our ‘Faces of Distracted Driving’ web series will share the stories of these people whose lives have been forever changed because of texting or talking behind the wheel,” LaHood said. “They will all tell you the same thing: no message or call is worth the risk.”
Among the series’ first videos:
-Margay Schee, 13, who was killed in a Sept. 2008 accident when her school bus was rammed by a semi truck.
-Julie Davis, 58, who was walking with a friend when she was killed by a 19-year-old driver traveling at 70mph.
-Ashlee Johnson, 16, killed when she lost control of her vehicle in May 2010. She crossed the centerline and hit a pickup head-on. Her father had warned her about using her cell phone while driving but she was text messaging at the time of the crash.
If you have been injured in a car accident in the New York City or Long Island areas, contact the Law Offices of Nicholas Rose to discuss your rights. Call 718.261.0549.
