AT&T Documentary Illustrates the Damage of Texting and Driving

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on September 25, 2012

In 2007, Washington became the first U.S. state to pass a law banning drivers from sending or reading text messages while behind the wheel. Unfortunately, not all U.S. states followed suit. Even in states that ban texting and driving, people are seriously injured or even killed each year when drivers decide a text just can’t wait.

Now, AT&T has released a free documentary that illustrates the personal costs of texting and driving. Titled “The Last Text,” the documentary encourages drivers to pledge never to text while behind the wheel.

The documentary also shares the stories of four people whose lives were permanently changed by texting and driving. Two of these drivers lost their lives in single-car accidents that resulted from taking their eyes off the road for only a few seconds to read or send a text. The Washington State Department of Licensing estimates that drivers who look at a text even for a second miss half the visual cues other drivers do – greatly increasing their risk of a fatal car crash.

The documentary also focuses on a young man struggling with a permanent traumatic brain injury after a texting-related crash, along with a young man who walked away unscathed – but whose texting caused the death of a bicyclist.

At Hardwick & Pendergast, our hardworking Washington distracted driving victim attorneys are dedicated to getting you and your family the compensation you need, so you can focus on healing both physically and emotionally. If a distracted driving crash has injured someone you love, call us today at (888) 228-3860 for a free telephone consultation.