The Real Financial Costs of Texting and Driving
Most people think of texting and driving as a safety issue, and it is. But it is also a financial one. Between fines, soaring insurance, and personal liability for a crash, a few seconds looking at a screen can cost thousands of dollars and years of financial fallout. Here is the real price of distracted driving.
Texting and driving can cost far more than a fine of up to $100 for a first offense. Add higher insurance premiums, personal liability for a crash you cause, repair bills, and lost income, and the true cost of one distracted moment can reach thousands of dollars, before counting the human toll.
The direct costs
- The ticket: a first distracted-driving offense in Utah is a class C misdemeanor with a fine up to $100, and much more if it causes harm.
- Court costs and points on your driving record.
- Possible license consequences for repeat or serious offenses.
The costs that follow you
- Insurance increases: a citation or at-fault crash can raise premiums for years.
- Personal liability, if your texting causes a crash, you can be sued for damages beyond your policy limits.
- Vehicle repair or replacement and rental costs.
- Lost income from injuries, court, or license issues.
The cost you cannot put a price on
The steepest cost of distracted driving is the human one. Distracted-driving crashes injure and kill thousands every year. No text is worth a life, and for the families involved, the financial fallout is only part of the loss.