(Photo credit: sunshinecity/Flickr)
By now, you’ve probably heard about a selfie. The Oxford Dictionary named it the 2013 word of the year, a selfie means taking a photograph of yourself with a smartphone or camera to upload to social media.
While selfies have gained popularity thanks to the rise of the smartphones, if there’s one place they should not be popular is while driving.
Unfortunately, there has been a trend of drivers taking photos of themselves at the wheel, which has led to fatal collisions.
Courtney Ann Sanford was the most recent casualty who died in a head-on collision with a truck in North Carolina while on her way to work. At 8:33 a.m. she posted a selfie of herself behind the wheel and a status update: “The happy song makes me so HAPPY.” At 8:34 a.m., police were called to the crash scene. Her vehicle crossed the median line, hit a recycling truck and burst into flames.
“In a matter of seconds, a life was over just so she could notify some friends that she was happy. It’s really not worth it,” High Point Police Department’s Lt Chris Weisner told the WGHP TV station.
“As sad as it is, it is also a grim reminder for everyone… you just have to pay attention while you are in the car.”
While many campaigns focus on texting and driving. This is another dangerous trend, which falls under distracted driving. If you look up the hashtag #drivingselfie on Twitter, there are many teens taking photos of themselves in vehicles, but you can’t tell whether the car is being driven or parked. Taking your eyes off the road even for a few seconds can multiply your chances of getting into an accident with texting drivers taking their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. If you’re travelling at almost 90 km/h, you could travel the distance of a football field in this time.
A survey of 2,000 drivers by a U.K. insurance company found that seven per cent of drivers admitted to taking a selfie behind the wheel. One third of drivers surveyed said they used a cellphone while behind the wheel with young drivers as the worst offenders, while ten per cent of drivers admitted that using their cellphone led to an accident.
It’s important for all drivers to remain focused while driving a vehicle for their safety and for the safety of others. This includes spotting pedestrians crossing the road (even if they’re distracted), wearing seatbelts and not driving impaired.
In 2013, distracted driving was responsible for 78 fatal crashes in Ontario, according to the OPP, and the Ontario government recently increased fines for distracted driving, along with put in motion legislation for more severe penalties, which includes losing demerit points. Police officers have gone as far as dressing up as panhandlers in attempt to catch drivers in the act at a red light.
Accident benefits are available to anyone involved in a motor vehicle accident regardless of their role in the accident. The personal injury and accident lawyers at Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers have been dealing with all accident related issues throughout Ontario for over 45 years. We know how to get you the compensation that you deserve and get your life back in order after being in a car accident. Call us at 416-920-4242, set up a free consultation, and come speak with us.
Greg Neinstein
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