North Carolina Car Accident Lawyers Blog

A little more than a year ago, a female teenage driver was killed in an Asheville distracted-driving accident because she was texting while driving. Her father now speaks out to teens about the dangers of texting and driving, and is one of the featured clips in the updated "Faces of Distracted Driving" series being promoted by the government.

Our Charlotte accident lawyers applaud the campaign's intent of getting the message out about the dangers of distracted driving and the consequences that come with this driving habit. Viewing personal and tragic stories like those in Faces of Distracted Driving pull on the heart strings, and may just the thing to make drivers think twice about risking an accident because of driver inattention.

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently released a new public service announcement (PSA) which is updating new faces and stories to the "Faces of Distracted Driving" series. The campaign has been viewed online more than 100,000 times since it began in November 2010. The PSA is a 30-second clip called "Get the Message," which features loved ones who have lost someone from a distracted-driving accident somewhere in the U.S.

Some of the featured tragic stories that can be found at Faces of Distracted Driving include:

-A 19-year-old was struck and killed on his bicycle by a distracted truck driver traveling at 60 mph.

-A 21-year-old male was riding with a co-worker who became distracted and failed to yield at a stop sign. The male passenger was killed within 24 hours of a tractor-trailer hitting the vehicle that failed to yield in the middle of oncoming traffic.

-A 21-year-old female pedestrian was killed by a distracted driver while she was crossing the street.

-A 17-year-old high school student was riding to school in her pickup truck when she crashed on a rural roadway because she was texting.

-Two teen drivers crashed in the middle of an intersection when one of the drivers was distracted by her cell phone while running a red light at 50 mph. The teen victim in the other vehicle died within 24 hours of the crash.

-A 58 year-old hiker was struck from behind and killed instantly by a vehicle traveling at 70 mph. The driver was texting at the time of the accident.

Unfortunately, these and many other tragic stories occur each and every day on roadways throughout the United States. If you have or someone you know has a story to tell or a message to voice, the U.S. Department of Transportation encourages families to post a message or video on YouTube and email the link to faces@distraction.gov.

No one wants to mourn the loss of someone killed in a distracted-driving accident in North Carolina or elsewhere. Make a commitment to drive distraction-free.