How Do I Know If Another Driver Was Texting?
There have been widespread campaigns alerting people to the dangers of texting while driving. Despite the insistent warnings, texting remains a leading cause of car accidents. Unfortunately, proving liability based on texting while driving can be difficult, since it is unlikely that a driver will admit they were on their phone when a crash occurred.
Car accident lawyers at the Tawwater Law Firm have represented countless victims of car accidents caused by texting. We are aware of the common signs that a driver was texting prior to an accident, and are prepared to help our Oklahoma City, OK, clients identify these signs so that they can hold liable parties accountable for accident damages.
Driver Posture
The most common tell-tale sign that a driver is texting is their posture. Drivers generally sit up straight with both hands on the steering wheel and their eyes looking straight ahead. If they are texting, their position is likely to be completely different.
Since nearly every state has regulations prohibiting texting while driving, most drivers attempt to conceal what they are doing. This usually results in them holding their cell phone out of eyesight and then bending down to look at the screen. If a driver is in a hunched position, with their head bent and just one hand on the steering wheel, these are good signs that they are texting.
Light from the Cell Phone
If an accident takes place at night, it could be difficult to see how another driver is sitting in their car. However, when it’s dark outside it can actually be even easier to tell if someone is texting while driving. Without the brightness of the sun, the glow from the screen of a cell phone should be easily visible. If a driver’s face is illuminated, or if there is a glowing light near their hand or lap, it is likely that they are sending or receiving texts.
Unsafe Driving Practices
Texting is one of the most common forms of distracted driving. Texting is also one of the most dangerous types of driving distractions, because it takes a person’s eyes, hands, and mind away from the task of driving. If someone is texting while driving, they are likely to exhibit unsafe driving practices, which may include:
- Failing to obey traffic signals
- Driving too fast or too slow for road conditions
- Swerving in and out of their lane of traffic
If someone notices these types of driving practices, it is highly likely that the other driver is texting or otherwise distracted or impaired, so it is safest to stay as far away from their vehicle as possible.
Cell Phone Records
All of these signs of texting while driving can be noticed while someone is on the road. Unfortunately, proving that texting caused an accident often requires more substantial proof. Oklahoma City drivers who suspect that another driver was texting when an accident occurred should hire a car accident lawyer to build their case. Car accident lawyers at the Tawwater Law Firm can collect cell phone records from the time of an accident to show that texting contributed to the crash.
Schedule a Consultation Today
If another driver was texting at the time of a car accident, they should be held liable for all resulting accident damages. To learn how the lawyers at the Tawwater Law Firm can help you prove that someone was texting while driving, send us a message online or call our Oklahoma City law firm at (405) 607-1400.
