“It’s Not About Making Stricter Laws, But Changing The Mindset of Drivers”

While dealing with the devastating loss of their 13-year-old son, a Michigan couple sent this message about distracted driving.

“Not looking for one minute can change entire families’ lives,” said the teens’ mother. “We just pray that, through this, people will re-evaluate their driving habits,” said his father, “because of David and because of what our family is going through.”

David was killed in a chain-reaction auto accident when a 40-year-old Indiana man driving a pick-up truck slammed into the back of the 2002 Toyota Sienna in which David was a passenger. The driver of the pick-up truck told police he was eating a sandwich and looking down at his GPS, and did not notice traffic had stopped for construction. He rear-ended the van with such force that the impact completely smashed in the second row seats. David was pinned into the vehicle. Good Samaritans tried to perform CPR, but he died at the scene. Nine people were injured, six seriously, in the five vehicle chain reaction crash. David’s 16-year-old sister, the driver of the minivan, was one of the injured.

David’s mother said the issue is not about making stricter laws, but changing the mindset of drivers. “It’s about being conscious every moment about what you’re doing when you’re driving and the lives that can be changed in an instant,” she said.

Serious injuries and deaths are occurring all over the country while texting, talking on the phone, eating, applying make-up, changing the radio, looking at a GPS. How many times must we hear that taking your eyes, hands, and mind off the road for any reason is reckless and negligent behavior? What if David was your son, grandson, brother, nephew, student, or neighbor? What will get this behavior to stop?

This negligence has to stop now! Please do not put yourself and others at risk. Multi-tasking is not meant for our roads. The more we educate the better chance we all have to improve our roadways. That is why Lawsuit Financial strongly supports restrictions on driver distractions of any kind. We actively promote driver safety and publicly addressing the many driving distractions that exist in our daily lives. We also support those who are trying to do something about this dangerous, life-threatening activity. The Casey Feldman Foundation (CFF) is one such organization.

CFF was started by a personal injury trial lawyer and his wife, following the tragic death of their daughter at the hands of a distracted driver. CFF was born so that something positive could result from a parent’s worst nightmare. In addition to its efforts to educate drivers about the dangers of distracted driving, CFF also provides financial support to individuals, groups, and institutions whose missions are to prevent injuries and death resulting from distracted driving. For a list of causes that CFF supports or to make a contribution, click here. Other organizations and charities have been chartered to do the same, as a result of tragedies to precious family members. Don’t wait for tragedy to strike you personally before taking action. Share the message; spread the word, and help create safer roads for everyone.

Mark Bello is the CEO and General Counsel of Lawsuit Financial Corporation, a pro-justice lawsuit funding company.