Texas Attorney Asks Parents To Remind Their Children About The Dangers of Distracted Driving
Texas personal injury lawyer Jack Zinda of Heselmeyer Zinda, PLLC, says National Teen Driver Safety Week serves as a valuable reminder of the injuries and fatalities caused by distracted driving and the need to educate young drivers about the risks of using electronic devices while behind the wheel.
Austin, TX (PRWEB) October 22, 2010
Parents of teen drivers should take the time this week to talk to their children about the risks of using electronic devices while driving, Texas personal injury lawyer Jack Zinda says.
As part of its ongoing Teen Safe Driving campaign, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has designated the week of October 17-24 National Teen Driver Safety Week.
“So many needless deaths and injuries are caused in the state of Texas and across the country by teen drivers who are distracted by an electronic device while behind the wheel,” says Zinda, a founding partner of the law firm of Heselmeyer Zinda, PLLC, which represents car accident victims from its offices in Plano, Austin and Round Rock.
“This week is the perfect time to sit down with your teen driver and remind them to always focus on driving instead of playing with a radio, talking on a cell phone or trying to send or read a text message,” Zinda says. “When you’re distracted by an electronic device, you put yourself at serious risk of injury or death, and you endanger the health and safety of others on the road.”
Statistics show there is a significant problem with distracted teen drivers, Zinda says. He points to an NHTSA report indicating that 11 percent of the people who died in distracted driving crashes nationwide in 2008 were teens ages 15 through 19 years old.
In 2008, out of the 795 people who died in crashes that involved a distracted teen driver, 659 were teenagers, the NHTSA reports.
Zinda says he is particularly alarmed by the results of a Pew Research Center Internet & American Life Project study in which nearly half of the teens interviewed said they had been in a vehicle while a driver texted. One in three teens admitted to Pew researchers that they had texted while driving.
“As a personal injury attorney, I’ve worked with victims who were severely injured or families that lost a loved one due to the negligence of another driver,” Zinda says. “I think if more teen drivers were made aware of those tragic consequences of distracted driving, fewer teen drivers would try to send a text message or use any other electronic device when they are behind the wheel.”
About Heselmeyer Zinda, PLLC
The personal injury attorneys of Heselmeyer Zinda, PLLC, represent victims of drunk driving accidents and all types of motor vehicle accidents, including truck, car and motorcycle. The firm’s Texas personal injury attorneys handle dram shop liability as well as uninsured motorist claims. Additionally, the firm focuses on representing victims of animal and dog bites, brain injuries, work injuries, defective products, slip and falls, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, sexual abuse and industrial accidents. The firm’s practice areas include business litigation and family. For more information or a free case evaluation, call 1.800.863.5312 or use the firm’s online contact form.
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