New Jersey residents may have used Snapchat filters or are aware of what they are. However, some believe that that the social media platform’s speed filter may be encouraging reckless behavior behind the wheel. On Oct. 26, a video was posted in which a driver reached speeds of up to 115.6 miles per hour according to Snapchat. Nine minutes after the video was posted, the driver lost control of his car and collided with a minivan head-on.
The 22-year-old driver and a 19-year-old passenger were both killed in the crash. Three people in the minivan were also killed while three others suffered injuries in the accident. In 2015, an 18-year-old was reportedly using the app while driving at speeds of up to 113 miles per hour on a highway in Georgia before hitting a Mitsubishi. Snapchat says that the driver in that case was not using the app when the crash occurred or at any time close to the accident.
In Virginia, lawmakers have proposed a ban on using Snapchat while driving. The company itself dissuades drivers from using the app while operating a motor vehicle. A message appears when an individual uses the filter for the first time as well as when a vehicle is moving at more than 15 miles per hour.
As these cases have demonstrated, fatal car accidents are often caused by drivers who are exceeding the posted speed limit. The surviving family members of occupants of other vehicles who have lost their lives in such a crash may want to meet with an attorney to see if a wrongful death lawsuit filed against the at-fault motorist would be an appropriate way of receiving compensation for funeral expenses and other losses that they have incurred.