Phoenix Car Accident Attorney at Israel & Gerity, PLLC, Comments on Lawmakers’ Efforts to Ban Texting While Driving in Arizona
Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) February 14, 2015 -- Phoenix, AZ personal injury lawyer Kyle A. Israel of Israel & Gerity, PLLC, said he was pleased to see that an Arizona Senate Committee has advanced a bill that would make texting while driving illegal.
Commenting on a Feb. 5 report in AZCentral.com (“Senate panel OKs Arizona texting-while-driving ban”), Israel said a texting ban could ultimately save lives.
“If texting while driving is banned, people might think twice before engaging in such risky behavior,” Israel said. “Scientific studies have shown that sending text messages while driving is at least as dangerous as drunk driving. Impairments caused by both activities are similar.”
The AZCentral.com article states that an Arizona Senate committee advanced a bill on Feb. 4, 2015, that would prohibit sending text messages while driving in Arizona. The proposal to ban texting and driving has failed over the past several years, but Rep. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, author of the bill, said he was hopeful it would succeed this year because it has support from the committee’s chairman Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, according to the news article.
The bill must win approval from two other committees before it goes to the floor for a full vote. According to AZCentral.com, Kavanagh requested an amendment to the bill to apply only to sending messages. Reading a message would not be banned. The proposal also would allow drivers to enter and look at GPS information and phone numbers they are dialing, according to the news article.
Israel said the proposed bill is not as strong as texting bans in many other states.
“We know that any distractions while driving can increase the risk of a crash,” Israel said. “This includes actions such as reading a text message, dialing a phone or entering and looking at GPS information. Many people don’t realize that even talking on a phone with a hands-free device can boost your chance of crashing your car. But this bill is a start in the right direction.”
AZCentral.com noted that several relatives of people killed in distracted driving accidents appeared at the Senate committee hearing to voice their support for the bill’s passage.
Attorney Israel said regardless of whether the bill ultimately becomes law, every driver should make responsible choices. “Even when texting bans are in place, some people do ignore the law and put others in danger,” Israel said. “It’s ultimately up to the individual driver to act responsibly. We urge people not to use their cellphones at all while driving. Stay alert and stay sober whenever you’re behind the wheel. Too much is at stake to take risky chances.”
Israel said anyone injured or who loses a loved one in an accident should talk to an experienced personal injury attorney to learn about their options. An attorney can help pursue compensation and hold the negligent driver accountable, he said.
About Israel & Gerity, PLLC
Attorney Kyle A. Israel obtained his degree from the Arizona State University College of Law and has practiced law in Arizona since 1994. Israel & Gerity’s legal practice focuses on helping victims of car crashes, construction accidents, construction defects, lithium toxicity, dog bites, nursing home negligence and more. Attorney Israel was anonymously selected by his peers into the first class of Arizona’s Finest Lawyers, an honor reserved for 2 percent of lawyers across the state, and has received nearly 100 percent favorable verdicts in the cases he has tried to verdict.
For more information about what to do if you or a loved one was injured in an accident, call (888) 900-3667 for a free case consultation. The firm handles personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless you win.
Israel & Gerity, PLLC
3300 North Central Avenue #2000
Phoenix, AZ 85012
(602) 274-4400
http://www.ig-law.com
Jacob M Del Hagen, Big Voodoo Interactive, http://www.bigvoodoo.com, +1 (413) 650-0593, [email protected]
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