A 17-year-old driver is accused of causing a serious Frederick County, Maryland car accident while talking on a cell phone on Wednesday. The young driver was merging onto Interstate 70 when he allegedly rear-ended a 1999 Jeep Cherokee driven by Norman Hayter, Jr., a Middletown resident. Police say that the juvenile did not realize that road work had caused traffic to slow down.
Hayter, 58, was seriously injured in the Maryland auto accident. He was transported by air to Washington County Hospital.
Meantime, the teen driver sustained minor injuries. He is charged with negligent driving.
Distracted Driving
Teen drivers, who are more easily distracted and less experienced than their older motorist counterparts, are already at greater risk of being involved in a motor vehicle collision. Add the additional distraction of talking on a phone or texting while driving, and the consequences can prove fatal.
In Maryland, drivers younger than age 18 with a provisional or a learner driver’s license are prohibited from using any kind of cell phone while driving. All other motorists are allowed to drive and use a cell phone at the same time. Sending text messages while driving in Maryland is banned.
Although it now has been confirmed that talking on any kind of cell phone is dangerous—there is no US state that completely bans this distracted driving habit and there are only six US states that ban the use of handheld cell phones—it is impossible to ignore the fact that at least 1.6 million US motor vehicle accidents a year are caused by texting and cell phone using drivers.
If a motorist causes a car accident while talking on a cell phone, he or she can be charged with negligent driving, and injury victims may choose to file a lawsuit for Maryland personal injury or a wrongful death.
Police: Teen on Cell Phone Causes Bad Accident, Your4State, February 4, 2010
Teen motorist talking on cell phone strikes stopped SUV, The Herald-Mail, February 3, 2010
Related Web Resources:
Cell Phone Driving Laws, Governors Highway Safety Association, February 2010
National Safety Council
If you or someone you love was seriously injured in a Maryland car accident because another motorist was negligent, please contact our Frederick County personal injury lawyers to schedule a free consultation.