If you or someone you care about was injured in a car accident in South Carolina, you may not know where to turn for guidance. The stress of medical expenses, doctors’ appointments, and possibly not being able to return to work can be a lot to take on, especially if you are also trying to negotiate with the at fault driver’s insurance company to receive a full, fair settlement. Our South Carolina car accident attorney is here to help you.
Living in a world where multi-tasking is encouraged, so many South Carolina drivers get behind the wheel and fail to focus fully on the one thing—driving—that should receive 100 percent of their concentration.
This is what is commonly referred to as distracted driving, our personal injury lawyer says. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 3,100 people died in the U.S. in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2017.
What are examples of distracted driving?
When people think of distracted driving, they immediately think of people texting on their cell phones. However, there are so many different things that can take a driver's attention away from the road:
- Typing a destination into the GPS
- Grooming (putting on makeup, brushing your hair, etc.)
- Talking to other passengers in the car
- Chatting on your cell phone
- Texting on your cell phone, including updating Facebook or Twitter
- "Rubber-necking," or trying to catch a glimpse of scenery or an accident on the road
- Eating while driving
Distracted Driving Laws in South Carolina
The ban on texting while driving in South Carolina promotes your right to safety, but enforcement remains a challenge. In recent years, incidents involving drivers using cell phones or other mobile devices have drawn increased public attention. Although South Carolina officially banned texting and driving in 2014, the penalty is only a $25 fine, and officers often struggle to enforce the law because drivers can claim they're adjusting music or using GPS. A proposed hands-free law in 2019 failed to pass, but momentum continues to build for stronger distracted driving legislation. We’ll be closely monitoring any future developments.
