Texting while driving in NH is against the law and for good reason. Texting involves manual, visual, and cognitive distractions simultaneously. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s the equivalent of driving the length of an entire football field, blindfolded.
The NH personal injury lawyers at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. have represented many personal injury victims who have been injured by motorists who were distracted while driving and texting, rather than watching the roadway.
Texting While Driving Facts
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports:
- Approximately 3,092 people were killed and 416,000 were injured due to distracted driving in 2010
- 18% of all automobile accident injuries in 2010 were due to distracted driving
- 16% of all distracted driving crashes involving drivers under 20
- Texting drivers are 23 times more likely to get involved in a crash
According to a report by the American Automobile Association, nearly 50 percent of teens admit to texting while driving.
To stop this nationwide epidemic of texting while driving, more than 34 states now have texting while driving laws. In New Hampshire, RSA 265:105-a Prohibited Text Messages and Device Usage While Operating a Motor Vehicle, which took effect January 1, 2010, attempts to stop this texting-while-driving trend.
New Hampshire Texting Law
The NH law against texting- RSA 265:105-a Prohibited Text Messages and Device Usage While Operating a Motor – provides as follows:
I. A person operating a moving motor vehicle who writes a text message or uses 2 hands to type on or operate an electronic or telecommunications device, is guilty of a violation. A person does not write a text message when he or she reads, selects, or enters a phone number or name in a wireless communications device for the purpose of making a phone call.
II. The fine for a violation of this section shall be $100.
If you or a loved one has been injured due to a distracted driver, the personal injury attorneys in Manchester, NH are here to help. We can be reached at (603) 614-5055. All initial telephone consultations are confidential and free of charge.