There’s ample research about the deadly consequences linked to distracted driving, but unfortunately, as technology evolves and brings in new trends, those trends are only increasing the toll of lives impacted by losing focus behind the wheel. Two recent Pennsylvania accidents involving teens using streaming or video social media like Facebook Live and Snapchat have ended with gruesome outcomes.
Pennsylvania Home to Too Many Distracted Driving Accidents
One teen was driving near Tobyhanna when a tractor-trailer rear-ended her car, killing her and another passenger inside. While on Interstate 380, the vehicle crash may have been caused by the teen going live on Facebook. Details from the crash reveal the statement “Are you going live?” from the passenger as the ride was live-streamed for friends and family to see. The teens were both pronounced dead at the scene. The video was still streaming over the course of the accident, as bright lights flashed inside the vehicle before eight minutes of blackness. The next thing anyone on the live stream heard was a man approaching the car after the crash.
A Facebook spokeswoman shared that individuals who see people streaming videos like this should use the Facebook feature to report the video in an attempt to curb the behavior. Unfortunately, as the above-mentioned story details, sometimes it’s too little, too late. Just a couple of seconds of lost attention live-streaming can lead to a deadly accident that injures or kills others. 
Although the story is sad, it’s not the only time that these applications have been involved in a Pennsylvania accident in recent times. Last December, three young women involved in a Philadelphia accident were killed. The post-accident investigation revealed that popular social media app SnapChat, which allows viewers to make brief “disappearing” videos for followers, may have been used at the time of the accident. A Snapchat sent just moments before the crash with flames that ultimately claimed the lives of everyone inside revealed a shot of the car’s speedometer clocking in at 73 MPH.
Although texting and driving gets a lot of worthwhile attention for being a deadly behavior, using the phone, GPS, or any other device can lead to Philadelphia distracted driving accidents. The repercussions of these wrecks can influence the rest of a survivor’s life. The couple of seconds that many teens assume it takes to set up a livestream or send a text could be the fatal couple of seconds of lost attention that leads to a major crash.
For victims of Philadelphia distracted driving accidents, life may never be the same. Serious injuries and disabilities may prevent a victim from living a normal life or holding down a job. Trying to figure out how to support a family can seem like a monumental task. Getting help from an experienced Philadelphia distracted driving personal injury attorney is strongly recommended to protect the rights of an injured victim.