Distracted driving may sound like empty words, but for numerous families and loved ones across the country each year, the words “distracted driving” become synonymous with losing someone they cared for deeply. That is David Teater’s story. David Teater lost his son because of a distracted driver. Since then, he has dedicated his life to improving traffic safety conditions for every driver by using large companies to influence the behavior of their employees and the broader community.
David is a father, and one day in January 2004, he was driving with his son when a distracted driver took his youngest son’s life. While talking on the phone, a driver in Grand Rapids, Michigan, sped through a red light, passed four cars and a school bus, and rammed into the Teaters’ car at 48 miles per hour.
In the aftermath of this tragedy, David Teater, a former CEO, made it his mission to increase driver and passenger safety by reducing the rate of distracted driving nationwide. He implored businesses to implement safety practices to help reduce the rate of injuries and fatal crashes in company vehicles and to spread safety practices to every driver across the country. Continue reading to learn more.
Our California law firm has years of experience helping individuals and families who have been involved in traffic accidents or have lost loved ones file a legal claim against the at-fault parties. We are committed to helping clients understand their rights and explore their legal options. If you have been hurt in an accident, you may have grounds to pursue compensation for your injuries and losses. Call us at (888) 488-1391 for a free initial consultation. Our attorneys can evaluate your case and determine if you have a valid case.
What Is Distracted Driving?
Simply put, distracted driving occurs when a driver takes their attention away from driving. Distracted driving takes one of three forms, and each may cause an accident. The forms of distracted driving include:
- Losing their focus on the task of driving.
- Removing their hands from the steering wheel.
- Taking their eyes off the road.
Texting and driving may fall into one or more of these categories. To type, send, and respond to text messages, a driver must take their hands off the wheel, eyes off the road, and mind off driving. These actions also take place when taking phone calls while driving, even with a hands-free option. Other examples of distracted driving include:
- Eating
- Talking to passengers
- Changing your music station
- Adjusting AC temperature
- Using social media
Distracted driving is a contributing factor in many accidents. Each year, a significant number of fatalities are reported following car accidents involving distracted drivers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,142 people died in 2019 after a car crash with a distracted driver. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration claims that any non-driving activity that a driver does while driving can cause potentially deadly accidents.
Still, everyone can help reduce the occurrence of distracted driving by talking about it. Particularly, co-workers can help reduce the number of car accidents in the workplace by engaging in conversations about the dangers of distracted driving.
If you have been harmed in a traffic accident caused by a distracted driver, consulting with car accident lawyers can help you manage the complexities of the case more efficiently. Arash Law has years of experience representing clients involved in car accidents in California and also handles accident cases involving rideshares, such as Uber and Lyft.
David Teater’s Plea To Business To End Distracted Driving
Understanding that distracted driving has the potential to end tragically, David Teater used his experience as a CEO to persuade business leaders to change their company practices. After the loss of his son and as he began to pick up the pieces of his life, Teater had an idea.
Teater hypothesized that if leaders of large companies, companies with more than 1,000 employees, banned cell phone use by employees while driving, it could have a massive impact on their personal lives. He believed that if employees and CEOs saw the benefits of removing distractions while driving, they would share those benefits with their friends and families, and distracted driving would stop or at least be considerably reduced.
Teater saw that the use of seatbelts increased after the national campaign about seatbelt use, and the information about the safety benefits became widely available to the public. It became apparent that using a seatbelt to keep drivers and passengers safe was common sense. He understood that people would make decisions based on common sense and stop driving while distracted if the information was given to them.
Concerns About Policy Changes From Business Leaders
Although the benefits were apparent to David Teater, the leaders of large companies had their concerns. Company leaders voiced their agreement that reducing the use of cell phones while employees are driving would positively impact road safety. Still, leaders had concerns about the end of cell phone use for the company’s productivity levels and resistance from upper management.
Company CEOs stated that they were concerned about decreased productivity if their drivers’ job duties required them to use a cell phone. Some companies pointed out that if their employees spent much of their workday using their cell phones to talk to customers as they are driving and between appointments, banning cell phone use company-wide could interfere with profits. Taking that concern into mind, the National Safety Council watched for decreased productivity.
The National Safety Council surveyed Fortune 500 companies that have implemented a cell phone ban. One metric they looked for was decreased productivity among the companies that implemented a cell phone ban. Among those companies, the survey found that only 7 percent reported a decrease in productivity. Among companies surveyed, 19 percent reported an increase in productivity.
Companies like ExxonMobil and Shell Oil were among the first Fortune 500 companies surveyed to implement a cell phone ban policy. The Toledo, Ohio, company, Owens Corning, started its own cell phone ban policy in 2012. During the implementation, Owens Corning CEO Matt Schroder and the other CEOs stopped using their cell phones while driving for 90 days. Schroder and the company found that no form of cell phone use, whether handheld or hands-free, had a widespread positive effect. The habit of stopping cell phone use while working carried over to the employees’ personal lives.
Some Companies Reported Resistance From Upper Management
Some of the companies targeted cited resistance from upper management as a concern about implementing a company-wide cell phone use ban. Along with the concern with resistance from upper management, some Fortune 500 companies did not want to change their policies beyond what is required by federal law.
The large companies targeted by Teater’s initiative have traditionally based their policies and changes to policies on the requirements set by federal law. At the time Teater asked companies to change their cell phone use policies, there were no federal laws and no state laws that banned the hands-free use of cell phones for drivers. Therein lay the resistance from upper management. Even with the resistance from upper management, large companies still gave a cell phone ban a try. The large company holdouts tried the cell phone ban and saw a positive net result.
Teater’s goal seemed to be working. There was an increase in the spread of information, and people were becoming safer because distracted driving was decreasing among employees.
If you were injured in a crash involving distracted drivers, seeking legal representation can help you navigate the legal aspects of your claim, allowing you to focus on getting better. Our traffic accident lawyers have been assisting clients in seeking compensation for their injuries and losses from the responsible parties. We understand that distracted driving could potentially result in serious or fatal accidents. If their actions cause injuries and losses, the law requires them to cover the resulting damages.
Although road safety could improve due to the attention on decreasing distracted driving, some companies still do not see that banning cell phone use is a no-brainer from a business standpoint.
The Obvious Answer
To David Teater, reducing the number of employees driving while using their cell phones on the job was clear. The resistance to implementing cell phone bans seemed crazy. He has spent many years traveling across the United States, giving 30 to 40 presentations each year to spread the message.
Teater speaks to individual companies and makes presentations to employers who attend safety, insurance, or risk reduction conferences. The subject of Teater’s talk is to show that cell phone bans are a “no-brainer” for companies. During his presentation, he discusses the dangers of cell phone use and its impact on cognitive function. Employees who attend Teater’s speeches ultimately spread the message that stopping distracted driving is beneficial to other people in their lives, including co-workers and people in their personal lives.
Teater’s talks include explaining brain function. During his speeches, Teater points out that the human brain cannot do more than one thing at a time. He adds that activities requiring significant mental effort, like driving and talking on the phone, each demand separate attention. He claims that it takes more cognitive ability to engage in a phone conversation while driving than to talk to someone in the same room. Teater explains that humans simply cannot use their cell phones and drive simultaneously because their brains cannot provide the focus required to complete either task well or safely.
Teater’s speeches explain that distracted driving is not worth the risk. Other information that Teater reveals in his speeches each year includes:
- Reading a text message while driving makes a driver 3.4 times more likely than a driver who is not texting to get into a car accident.
- Drivers who talk on their phones while driving are four times more likely to be involved in a car accident.
After hearing this information, Teater reported that companies take heed of the research. After hearing the research, Teater found that companies are more likely to implement a ban on cell phone use and other forms of distracted driving.
The decrease in distracted driving is hopeful. It appears that Teater’s goal to implement company-wide bans on cell phone use to reduce the number of distracted driving car crashes nationwide, achieved through word of mouth about the benefits, is working. Despite the positive feedback on Teater’s work, car accidents still occur due to distracted driving. An accident caused by distracted drivers can have serious consequences. These accidents happen quickly and can cause property damage, serious injuries, and even death.
We have experience assisting injured clients in seeking compensation for their losses in these types of accidents. Call us at (888) 488-1391 or visit our website to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our accident attorneys.
Common Sense Saves The Day
Teater found that businesses were convinced by how it just seemed to make common sense to implement a cell phone use ban to help reduce the number of traffic accidents caused by distracted drivers. He also found that three things convinced businesses that the cell phone ban was a good idea. The three points that convinced business leaders to try a cell phone ban are:
- Driving while distracted is dangerous and becomes increasingly so over time.
- If companies are not proactive about reducing the number of traffic accidents caused by their employees due to distracted driving, the company may be held liable for the accidents.
- There is no discernible negative impact on the company. Implementing a cell phone ban policy does not increase the company’s bottom line, but having a company-wide no-cell-phone-use policy helps reduce the likelihood of accidents happening and lowers the risk of companies paying judgments after traffic accidents.
If you have been in an accident caused by a distracted driver, our attorneys at Arash Law are ready to provide comprehensive legal support and assist you in establishing negligence to support your claim. To schedule a free case review with one of your lawyers, call us at (888) 488-1391.
How Can An Accident Attorney Help Me?
Accident lawyers advocate for the rights and represent the interests of those who are injured after an accident. Individuals who handle claims on their own may find it challenging to deal with the challenges that may arise during the process, such as low settlement offers and disputes over liability. An accident attorney conducts a thorough investigation and gathers important evidence to help accident victims seek compensation for their losses in accordance with California law.
In addition to advocating for the rights of accident victims, injury lawyers work to handle the technical aspects of settlement negotiations or lawsuits efficiently. Accident attorneys have the knowledge and training to help you deal with insurance companies. Lawyers for accident cases work to develop a strategy tailored to your needs, preparing to present a well-supported case during the negotiation process and, if necessary, litigation.
Our attorneys understand that the majority of accident victims have never been involved in a lawsuit before. That’s why we provide personalized legal representation and clear guidance to help you make informed decisions about your case.
If you have been involved in an accident with a driver who was working for a company when they hit you, it can add another level of stress to an already confusing situation.
Hiring an accident attorney with experience handling cases against companies with negligent employees can help you address the ensuing complexities, such as disputes over liabilities and denial of claims. Our California injury attorneys have the experience necessary to handle these types of cases and are committed to advocating for the rights of our clients before the at-fault parties and their insurers. Contact us or visit our website to schedule a free case assessment if you have been involved in an accident.
Speak With Our Car Accident Lawyers In California
If you’re looking for legal representation in California, our injury law firm is ready to help. We understand how important it is to seek compensation for your medical bills, property damage, and lost wages as a result of the accident. Our attorneys are committed to helping you pursue a claim against the responsible party and will work to help you hold them accountable for the harm they caused.
We aim to help those injured in a crash have access to legal representation without upfront legal costs. Our attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you will not owe any attorney’s fees unless your case results in a settlement or a verdict. Note that clients may still be responsible for other case-related costs, regardless of the conclusion. This payment arrangement will be clearly outlined in a written agreement. Our lawyers can address any questions or concerns you may have during your consultation.
Contact Arash Law at (888) 488-1391 or complete our “Do I Have A Case?” form here to schedule a free initial consultation with an accident lawyer.
