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Texting and Driving in Texas: Is it Legal?


Texas Law: Texting & DrivingTexting and driving has become a huge problem in many states, especially Texas where people drive all the time and often have long commutes to work. It seems rather obvious that texting and driving is dangerous - simply put, it takes your focus off the road and on your phone. If you have been injured in an auto accident caused by a distracted driver, you should seek the advice of a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer.

According to researchers from the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Ft. Worth, texting behind the wheel accounted for 16,141 deaths between 2002 and 2007. Although there isn't a scientific study to tell us how many car accidents in DFW are caused by texting and driving, anecdotal evidence tells us it does cause auto wrecks in the Metroplex.

What are the laws on texting and driving in Texas?
As of March 2011, texting and driving is legal in Texas except for drivers under the age of 18 and any driver going through a school zone. All school bus drivers are prohibited from using cell phones if any children are on their bus.

Cell phone laws aren't as strict in Texas as they are in other states. Nine states and the District of Columbia now ban hand-held cell phone use and 30 states ban texting and driving. Texas is one of the largest, most populated states without a ban on hand-held cell phone use, but proposed legislation against texting and driving is gaining steam in Austin.

State Representative, Tom Craddick, introduced House Bill 243 in March 2011 that would ban texting for all drivers of motor vehicles in Texas. The Bill is backed by the parents of Alex Brown, a high school senior from Wellman, Texas that lost her life texting and driving. The Brown family set up a group for their daughter called the Remember Alex Brown Foundation that spreads awareness to high school students about the dangers of texting and driving. I rarely agree with Rep. Craddick, but I'm with him on this one.

Many cities in Texas already ban texting and driving. San Antonio, El Paso, Galveston, McAllen, Alvin and Stephenville all ban texting and driving within city limits. Your city may be on the list soon because more and more motorists in Texas are viewing cell phone use and texting while driving as a major concern.

Text messaging and cell phone use while driving are bigger problems than five years ago, according to a fall 2010 study by the Texas Transportation Institute. Of the drivers interviewed, 85 percent said text messaging was worse, while 80 percent agreed that cell phone use had become a bigger problem than a half decade ago.

Texting and driving causes car accidents. Until there is legislation banning texting and driving, remember to be a defensive driver and look out for distracted motorists around you who are messing on their phone. If you are tempted to text and drive, remind yourself that one text is not worth your life.



Other articles you might be interested in:
The Dangers of Texting While Driving
Pledge Bracelet Program: Teens Against Distracted Driving
Injuries and Death Caused By Texting While Driving
Drunk Driving vs. Cell Phone Driving: Which is More Dangerous?
What is the law regarding distracted driving in Texas?


The Anderson Law Firm offers free no obligation consultations to people injured in accidents or who have suffered physical harm as a result of someone else's actions. We do not charge you to initially discuss your situation and establish whether you have a claim to pursue. You can call us and discuss your case over the phone, we can set up an appointment for you to come into our office, or we can visit you in your home anywhere in the metroplex.

If after meeting with us you decide that we are the best personal injury lawyer for you, then we will enter into a contingent fee agreement. This means that we only get paid when we win a settlement or jury verdict in your favor. You don't pay us anything up front. We will cover all expenses spent working on your case. Only when we win for you will you need to pay us. If we don't win, then you owe us nothing.

Contact us online now or call us 24 hours a day toll free on 1-800-354-MARK (1-800-345-6-275). You can also call us locally in Fort Worth on 817-294-1900 or in Dallas on 214-327-8000.


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