Text A Driver Who Crashes and You Can Be Held Liable...

By now, everyone should know that texting while driving is a horribly stupid thing to do. But what if you send a text to a person who happens to be driving, and that person crashes? Could you be held liable in court? A New Jersey appellate court just said yes.

CNN reported on a surprising case out of the Garden State where appeals court judges ruled that if someone sends a text message to a person they know is driving at the time, and that driver crashes, then "a court may hold the sender responsible for distraction and hold him or her liable for the accident."

Here's the backstory: Kyle Best was driving his truck down a rural highway in 2009 while he was exchanging text messages with his girlfriend Shannon Colonna. Due to his distraction, Best crashed into a couple on a motorcycle. They survived, but lost their legs, and not only filed a lawsuit against Best but also Colonna for sending the texts. 

The couple settled with Best and lost the suit against Colonna, CNN reports. But then they appealed that decision.

While the judges let Colonna off the hook because she was unaware Best was driving, they did set the precedent about people being potentially liable if they text drivers who crash — as long as they knew that person was driving.

It will be very interesting to see if this potential precedent is used in other cases. In the meantime, if you know someone is driving, you might want to wait on sending that text.

Comedy Driving Inc has 5 Houston Locations as well as our online defensive driving course!

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Driving is the Reason You Are Fat!

Taking the car to work may be convenient, but it might not be good for you. A new study of about 20,000 commuters in the U.K. finds that people who walk or cycle to work are less likely to suffer from diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other problems compared to those who drive.

Researchers from Imperial College London and University College London used data from a large household survey to study the relationship between commuting choices and health outcomes. Walkers were 40% less likely to have diabetes compared to drivers, and 17% less likely to have high blood pressure. Cyclists were even healthier: They were half as likely as drivers to have diabetes.

"This study highlights that building physical activity into the daily routine by walking, cycling or using public transport to get to work is good for personal health," Anthony Laverty, a researcher at Imperial College London, said in a press release. The researchers included public transit in their definition of "active commuting," as it often involves walking to and from a train station or bus stop.The research, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found that 19% of people taking cars, motorbikes, or taxis to work were obese, compared to 15% of those who walked, and 13% of those who cycled.

The study concludes that "more vigorous forms of active travel may confer greater benefits than public transport," and that "increasing active travel should be prioritized within national and local prevention strategies for obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease."

Ultimately, the study is just another addition to the argument for factoring public health into transportation and urban planning decisions.  When people walk and cycle--whether to work or the store--they're likely to be healthier.

Comedy Driving Inc has 5 Houston Locations as well as our online defensive driving course!

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