Down for the Count App Targets Texting and Driving Dangers

It comes as no surprise that teenagers are among the most accident-prone drivers in the United States. In fact, six teenagers of driving age die each day as a result of motor vehicle injuries. Of the teenagers that die each year, most are killed in totally preventable car accidents. The reasons for these statistics are varied, but include the following facts: teens are not required to take driver’s education courses, teen drivers may be impaired by alcohol or drugs, including up to 25% of all male teenage drivers, and teenagers are the class of drivers who are least likely to wear a seatbelt. A relatively new reason for the large amount of teenage driver deaths, however, is texting while driving, which requires teens to take their eyes off the road for significant amounts of time, causing a huge distraction. In fact, texting by a driver makes him or her 23 times more likely to become involved in an accident.

The reality is that up to 77% of teens believe that they can adequately text and drive. Convincing teenagers otherwise is a difficult task, but one individual has created the “Down for the Count” app, currently available for Apple devices. The goal of the app is to get teenage drivers to put down their phones and keep their hands on the steering wheel. By starting the app each time they get in the car and not otherwise touching their phones, teens qualify for prizes to reward them for safe driving behaviors, such as gift cards to Starbucks. Eventually, the hope is that putting down the phone will become a routine habit for teens, thus encouraging safer driving overall.

Boller & Vaughan are Wisconsin motor vehicle accident lawyers who are devoted to protecting the interests of injury victims, as well as their families, whether accidents result from texting and driving or another type of negligence. When another driver has acted in such a manner so as to cause you harm, he or she may be responsible for your financial losses. In the case of a personal injury suit, however, there are strict deadlines that you must follow, or you risk losing your right to compensation altogether. Contact our office today to set up your free consultation and learn what legal options we can offer you.