Everyone knows that texting and driving is illegal. Yet, most everyone knows that it still happens on a regular basis. Hopefully, you are not one of those drivers.
Recently, a few events caused me great concern. A few weeks ago, I was walking home from work and because my home is about 8 miles from our Baraboo office I had to walk on some busy highways. This was on a late Friday afternoon.
As I was walking on Hwy. 33 a string of cars were approaching me. I was walking on the side of the road toward oncoming traffic as one is supposed to do when walking on a highway. Ahead of me, I saw a vehicle approaching and then going over the fog line. I moved further and further to the left to the point where I was off of the paved shoulder and walking on the side of a rather steep embankment. As the car got nearer to me the driver looked up from his cell phone and, when he saw me, jerked his car to the left. It was an obvious move from a driver who was texting and not paying attention.
This was very concerning for two reasons. One, he could have hit me. Second, there is no way he could have stopped if any of the cars ahead of him stopped or slowed.
That incident was followed up by something I still cannot believe I saw. In traveling to our Middleton office on Hwy. 12 I passed a vehicle that was driving suspiciously slower than the rest of the traffic. I suspected texting or something else that was distracting the driver from going at least the speed limit. As I approached the side of the minivan, I saw the driver and then I saw a book in the driver’s hand! Yes, the driver was reading and driving! I could not believe my eyes, reading a book and driving in morning rush hour traffic? Other than texting is there anything potentially more dangerous? I chalked that one up to, hopefully, once in a life time!
These two drivers were lucky, at least at that time, as there were no accidents. However, such inattentive driving undoubtedly substantially increases the risk of accident and injury both to the driver as well as to others. Please, pay attention to what you are doing when you are driving. As my driver’s ed teacher told me, every time you approach an oncoming vehicle you are “three feet from death!” Maybe a little dramatic but certainly the point is made. Be careful and be defensive.
If you have been injured in an accident of any kind in the Madison area call me at (608) 824-9540, in the Baraboo area call me at (608) 356-3961, Statewide at (866) 455-2993, by email at mark@kh-law.net or check out our website at https://khtlawyers.com.
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