When you think of the phrase “texting and driving,” what comes to mind? Do you envision a car full of teenagers driving at 90 mph down the Salt Lake City freeway, carelessly trading text messages with the group of friends driving behind them? Or do you immediately imagine an auto accident involving several cars, with the driver responsible frantically calling his or her lawyer?
We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but texting and driving isn’t just limited to texting, and it’s not just limited to teenagers — it’s a multi-generational issue that almost every demographic, whether in Salt Lake City or in the Midwest, has been found guilty of at some point.
Emailing, Checking Facebook Still Considered Texting
You don’t have to be carrying on a full-blown conversation via text to be guilty of texting and driving; on the contrary, answering email, checking your phone’s notifications, choosing a Spotify playlist and checking Facebook are all considered to be texting and driving.
You might counter this statement with a popular argument: I only text/check messages/answer emails when I’m at a red light and fully stopped. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter if you’re cruising down Main Street in Salt Lake City at 50 mph or at a complete stop at an intersection; an auto accident lawyer will view texting and driving, under any circumstance, as the same.
Is Voice-to-Text Considered Texting?
What about using voice-to-text while driving? That’s safer, right? Unfortunately, no — it’s still considered texting and driving. It doesn’t matter how you go about sending a text or email; in reality, you’re allowing yourself to become distracted from the road, which is like playing Russian Roulette with an auto accident.
Your texts, your social media accounts and your emails can wait; if it’s really necessary, pull over. Your next text might be to a lawyer if you continue to text and drive — no matter what form it’s in.