For many Virginia residents, Snapchat is a way to stay connected to family and friends. However, there is concern that one Snapchat filter may be encouraging reckless driving. This speed filter, which shows just how fast a person is driving when the app is being used, has been linked to several traffic fatalities.
For example, a 10-second Snapchat video showed a driver and passenger who were in a vehicle that was traveling at first 82.6 mph and then at 115.6 mph. Approximately nine minutes after the video was posted, the 22-year-old driver and the 19-year-old passenger were involved in a deadly car accident that claimed both of their lives and the lives of three others. It appeared that the driver lost control of the vehicle and collided head-on with a minivan. A mother and two children were killed.
Snapchat stated that it discourages its users from using the speed filter while driving. However, it has been argued that, even with a popup warning, the filter does not serve a purpose other than having people film themselves when being in a vehicle that is moving at dangerous speeds. Virginia lawmakers were considering a bill to restrict the filter, but it was postponed until 2017.
People who are injured in a car crash that was caused by a speeding driver often have to endure lengthy periods of hospitalization that may result in them facing enormous medical bills, and their financial situation can be made even worse when they are not able to return to work. An attorney could be of assistance in seeking compensation for these and other losses through a personal injury lawsuit naming the at-fault motorist as a defendant.