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It has become a craze which should be called “crazy”. Drivers speeding while taking selfies of themselves and their speedometers. 

A teenager in Georgia allegedly caused an accident in which a Uber driver was left with permanent brain damage. The teen felt compelled to “capture a snap” of herself and her speedometer while traveling at close to 107 mph. 

The Washington Post reported that the 18-year-old young woman was using an application’s “speed” filter when the accident happened. Apparently, she was using her smartphone to access a popular app to obtain a “trophy” which rewards users for uploading photos of their speedometers. The teen hit her head on the windshield, then Snapchatted a photo of herself while being treated by paramedics. The caption she used on the Snapchat was, “Lucky to be alive.” 

According to New York Magazine the Uber driver is now suing both the teen and Snapchat for damages after spending several weeks in intensive care for a traumatic brain injury. He is no longer able to work. 

There have been several other cases in the media where the use of Snapchat was accused of causing fatal car accidents, a couple of which are: 

• Early morning Sunday, December 20, 2015, police in Philadelphia say that a black Camaro with three young women was speeding. The car burst into flames when it slammed into a parked tractor-trailer truck. Police reported the girls were “snapping” their speed. 

• In Kansas City a family lost a 30-year-old family member who was killed when a man hit him who, authorities say, may have been using Snapchat behind the wheel. The father of 6 died at the scene. 

A March 2016 report published by DMR (a clearing house for digital marketing tips, statistics and news) called,  By the Numbers: 70 Amazing Snapchat Statistics, said that there are 100 million daily active Snapchat users with 18 percent of all social media users using Snapchat, and 65 percent of these users contribute daily content. 

Snapchat was started in September 2011. One of the most prominent age groups using Snapchat are Millennials, but they are not alone. Further DMR statistics show that 60 percent of the high school class of 2015 in the United States used Snapchat daily. 

Snapchat’s terms of service states, “Do not use our services in a way that would distract you from obeying traffic or safety laws. And never put yourself or others in harm's way just to capture a snap." The filter itself contains a small warning that says "don't snap and drive."  

In an effort to stop drivers from using Snapchat while behind the wheel, on April 19, 2016 a new filter was released. This filter is called the “I won’t snap and drive Snapchat filter” which allows Snapchat users to send a pledge to their friends saying they will not use Snapchat while driving. 

“We at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P. A. warn drivers not to be distracted while driving. Snapchatting while driving is dangerous. Contact our expert legal team if you or a family member has been involved in an accident with a distracted driver,” said Lee County Accident Attorney, Randall Spivey.

Lee County Vehicle Accident Attorney, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839,or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.