Many of us are culprits of the occasional peek at our phone while sitting at the intersection or driving slow, but the fact is, even if you’re stopped or moving along at a snail’s pace, your phone should be entirely off-limits when you’re behind the wheel.
Driving is difficult enough with the usual distractions: food, music, kids, construction, etc. Adding a smartphone to the mix is not only irresponsible, but can lead to destruction, injury, and death.
While our phones have many amazing aspects, those aspects need to be used in a competent manner. Because of the over 15,000 distracted driving accidents in Colorado in 2019, it’s vital to do your part to stay away from risky driving and risky drivers.
Here are some important facts according to CDOT:
• In 2019, Colorado saw 4,361 injuries due to distracted driving
• In 2019, Colorado saw 28 fatalities due to distracted driving
• In 2019, there were 15,143 crashes due to distracted driving
• In 2019, more than 40 car accidents a day occurred due to distracted driving
• 1 of 4 car crashes are due to phone use
• 85% of Coloradans admit to driving distracted
According to a study conducted for The Zebra using Google Consumer Surveys:
• Nationwide, 14% of all fatal car accidents involve cell phone use
• At any given moment, 7% of drivers are using their cell phones nationwide
• In 2017, cell phone use caused 1.5 million car accidents nationwide
• Cell phone-related car crashes cost $129 billion of the societal damage caused by car accidents, inclusive of lost lives
While these stats are alarming and clearly show the evidence against cell phone use while driving, only 16 states have a ban on complete cell phone use while behind the wheel. We should all feel somewhat anxious to hear that nationwide, at any given time, over 650,000 are driving while using their phone, or attempting to.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, driving while texting is 6 times more dangerous than driving while intoxicated.
The average time a driver’s eyes are off the road when texting is five seconds. If driving 55 mph, an entire football field is covered in that time without taking one look at where the vehicle is headed. Yet, this still happens all too often.
These unsafe acts contribute to safety hazards for you, other drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and surrounding property.
Important driving laws:
• It is illegal to text and drive in Colorado
• It is illegal to use your phone in any capacity while driving if you are under the age of 18 in Colorado
• Drivers over 18 can only use their cell phones for phone calls in Colorado
• In Colorado, any driver can legally use their cell phone while driving in case of emergency, which are defined as fear of life, a criminal act is about to occur or occurring, reporting of a fire, hazard, or accident, or to report an unsafe, reckless driver
Whenever possible, the driver should pull over to use their mobile phone, even in emergencies.
Now that you know the stats and understand the importance of your safe driving habits, take a look at some of the steps you can take to make the road a safer place:
• The Do Not Disturb mode on your phone is there so you can be left alone when needed, driving is a great time to use the feature
• Should you get an incoming text, call, or email, ignore it until you’re in a safe place and not behind the wheel, or until you arrive at your destination
• If traveling a long distance, plan to check your phone during gas station visits, food stops, and scenery lookouts
• If driving with a passenger, let that person answer calls and texts
• Use your driving time to take a break from technology, think of it as a treat, turn your ringer to mute
• Get your playlist and GPS ready prior to driving
The best way to drive your vehicle is to stay focused on the road, be attentive, and follow all driving rules and laws. There is no room for phone use when driving as you should.
Texting and driving is proven to be more dangerous than drinking and driving, and that says a lot. Pedestrians, cyclists, and other motorists can suffer from dozens of injuries or even death when coming into contact with a distracted driver.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident with a distracted driver, the injuries and the cost can be debilitating. Hiring a car accident attorney who can properly investigate your case and get you the compensation you’re entitled to a smart step.
Call Hull & Zimmerman your Northglenn personal injury attorneys and set up your free consultation. If you’ve been injured as a result of a negligent driver, we will carefully review your matter and give you the peace of mind you deserve through the legal process.
We proudly serve North Denver, Northglenn, Westminster, Thornton, Commerce City, Arvada, and Broomfield.
At Hull & Zimmerman, P.C., we are honored to help accident victims in their time of need, and take our responsibility as personal injury lawyers incredibly seriously. We know how important it is for victims to secure the full and fair compensation they need following a serious accident, and that is why we take a hands-on, personalized approach to every case we handle.
awarded to a woman who was a victim of a car crash. The woman was driving the highway when the other driver approaching from the opposite direction lost control of his vehicle, crossed the center line and hit her head on. She suffered multiple broken bones, including her hip, pelvis, leg, and right arm. She missed several years of work as a result of her injuries. Read More
awarded to a woman who was the victim of a t-bone car crash. The client suffered multiple injuries. The most significant of which was a head injury. While she was ultimately able to return to work on a part-time basis, Plaintiff was never able to return to work on a full-time basis. Read More
settlement awarded to a lady who suffered a head injury. She slipped and fell in a slanted parking lot at her place of employment. Evidence demonstrated that the owner of the building had constructed a fence shading the parking lot such that ice was allowed to continuously accumulate during the winter months. Multiple people had fallen on the ice prior to the client’s fall. As a result of her injuries, Plaintiff was forced to take early retirement. Read More
awarded to a man whose vehicle was hit from behind by a semi. The injured party suffered back pain and rotator cuff tears in each shoulder and was forced to retire from his job doing road repair four years earlier. Read More
settlement (policy limits) awarded to a young man who lost his eye when another child shot an arrow into the air. Read More
settlement obtained for a man who was injured in a rear end automobile accident. He suffered a herniated disc in his low back which was not well resolved by surgery forcing him to leave his employment as an apartment maintenance manager. Read More
awarded to a gentleman in association with a workman’s compensation case. He initially sustained a head injury at work when attacked by a patient. Several years later, his condition worsened resulting in his inability to return to work in his usual job. Read More
settlement achieved in a legal malpractice case. The client initially suffered a herniated disc in her neck in association with an automobile accident. The attorney failed to file the lawsuit in a timely manner and the Plaintiff was initially denied her ability to achieve any monies from the original lawsuit. Read More
settlement awarded to a man who was a victim of an automobile accident. Plaintiff was a passenger who was rear-ended by another driver. Following the accident, he suffered a long term back injury. Read More
settlement awarded to a lady who aggravated a pre-existing back condition when she slipped and fell at the entrance to a casino. Read More
awarded to a woman who suffered a rotator cuff tear from an automobile accident. Read More
$1,250,000.00 –awarded to a woman who was a victim of a car crash. The woman was driving the highway when the other driver approaching from the opposite direction lost control of his vehicle, crossed the center line and hit her head on. She suffered multiple broken bones, including her hip, pelvis, leg, and right arm. She missed several years of work as a result of her injuries.
$1,200.000.00 –awarded to a woman who was the victim of a t-bone car crash. The client suffered multiple injuries. The most significant of which was a head injury. While she was ultimately able to return to work on a part-time basis, Plaintiff was never able to return to work on a full-time basis.
$450,000.00 –settlement awarded to a lady who suffered a head injury. She slipped and fell in a slanted parking lot at her place of employment. Evidence demonstrated that the owner of the building had constructed a fence shading the parking lot such that ice was allowed to continuously accumulate during the winter months. Multiple people had fallen on the ice prior to the client’s fall. As a result of her injuries, Plaintiff was forced to take early retirement.
$425,000 –awarded to a man whose vehicle was hit from behind by a semi. The injured party suffered back pain and rotator cuff tears in each shoulder and was forced to retire from his job doing road repair four years earlier.
$300,000.00 –settlement (policy limits) awarded to a young man who lost his eye when another child shot an arrow into the air.
$300,000.00 –settlement obtained for a man who was injured in a rear end automobile accident. He suffered a herniated disc in his low back which was not well resolved by surgery forcing him to leave his employment as an apartment maintenance manager.
$250,000.00 –awarded to a gentleman in association with a workman’s compensation case. He initially sustained a head injury at work when attacked by a patient. Several years later, his condition worsened resulting in his inability to return to work in his usual job.
$250,000.00 –settlement achieved in a legal malpractice case. The client initially suffered a herniated disc in her neck in association with an automobile accident. The attorney failed to file the lawsuit in a timely manner and the Plaintiff was initially denied her ability to achieve any monies from the original lawsuit.
$150,000.00 –settlement awarded to a man who was a victim of an automobile accident. Plaintiff was a passenger who was rear-ended by another driver. Following the accident, he suffered a long term back injury.
$125,000.00 –settlement awarded to a lady who aggravated a pre-existing back condition when she slipped and fell at the entrance to a casino.
$75,000.00 –awarded to a woman who suffered a rotator cuff tear from an automobile accident.
Easy
to talk to. They made my experience very comfortable through my whole journey.
My heartfelt gratitude goes out to the whole staff at Hull & Zimmerman. Thank
you
- 
– R. Hamilton
I
would just like to send a “thank you” to you and your staff. You have been the
most professional and efficient law office if have ever dealt with. I will
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appreciate all you have done. Again Thank you
– D. Hassoun
would
just like to send a “thank you” to you and your staff. You have been the most
professional and efficient law office if have ever dealt with. I will continue
to tell people about the wonderful job you have done for me and my family. Mr.
Zimmerman you are the most professional lawyer and I truly appreciate all you
have done. Again Thank you.
– Jason B.
I was
injured in a fall and the nightmare began. I found Mike Zimmerman on the
internet, read his background history and contacted his office. The Office Staff
was wonderful, patient, and helpful, even though I was probably a pain to them.
Mike is a no nonsense kind of guy. He will tell you exactly what he feels about
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Working through divorce and custody issues is an extremely difficult and
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– Michael D.
We
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lawyer, and advised us every step of the way. His associates were very
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highly recommend him to anyone that needs a good honest lawyer.
– Clarencec & Joy W.
We
were hit by an uninsured driver in 2006 and my husband was unable to work for
some time. Initially our own insurance really didn’t want to help us. On the
recommendation of a friend, we contacted Mr. Z and with his advice, suggestions
and hard work, we were able to get the what we needed from our insurance to help
us with our bills and medical costs. His staff was very patient with us as well
and was always available to reassure us and to answer our questions. We hope
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Smart and nice! We were nervous and Rick put us at ease. Kept us informed. Never
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– D. & S. Bratrovsky
Exceeded expectations!
– T. Thiel
I
liked the fact that I was kept up to date throughout the process. When the
accident first happened, Rick went to bat for me right away to make sure that I
was compensated for my loss of transportation. The end result in my case
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– D. Hughley
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appreciated the effort Rick Hull presented during the difficulties that occurred
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– Michele Wolf
I
appreciated the fact that Rick Hull always explained everything to me. No matter
how insignificant I thought the question was, he encouraged me to ask and was
very patient when I didn’t understand some aspect of the legal procedures. I
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addition, he explained certain aspects of Colorado law thoroughly to me so that
I could make an informed decision that best suited my needs.
8:00 am
October 30th, 2020