A federal board meant to overlook safety on roadways across the country made an unprecedented recommendation Tuesday morning that all states should ban the use of non-emergency cellular devices of any type by all drivers.
The only exception was those designed to assist drivers, such as GPS devices.
This comes after the NTSB reviewed a multi-vehicle crash in Grays Summit, Mo. that occurred in August 2010 on Interstate 44. The accident involved two passenger vehicles and two school buses and left two people dead and 38 people injured.
Cell phone records of one of the drivers showed frequent text activity via cell phone and led the board to conclude that driver was likely distracted by texting at the time of the accident. Eleven text messages were sent or received in eleven minutes by the driver just prior to the accident. The driver was killed in the crash.
According to officials, the 19-year-old driver of the pickup crashed into the back of a tractor trailer. His truck was then rear-ended by a school bus, which was then rear-ended by another school bus.
If you or your loved one has been injured in an accident caused by a distracted driver, you may have the basis for a personal injury case. Contact the Chicago auto accident attorneys at Dwyer & McDevitt, Ltd. today and we can help lay out your options.
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