Texting and driving is bad enough, now apparently society has to deal with Snapchatting and driving?
With the social media app allowing a feature called speed filter, apparently it is a major issue for teens who get behind the wheel. Because, why not show off your 100mph while behind the wheel to all your buddies, right?
That appears to be exactly what took place in Georgia, where a victim of a big crash is suing the social media app’s company after causing an accident while the person who hit him was trying capture a 100mph moment in the perfect Snapchat.
See, its Snapchat’s fault for putting in a speed feature on its app — it is just too tempting to not use while traveling at triple digits down the road.
According to reports, an 18-year-old girl was so focused on the speed filter that she never saw an oncoming car and struck it going 107mph on a highway in the Peach State.
On September 10th, 2015, 18-year-old Christal McGee was caught up with trying to get over 100 mph on Snapchat’s speed filter and failed to notice Wentworth Maynard’s car pull onto the Georgia highway she was speeding on. At around 11:15PM, McGee struck Maynard’s Mitsubishi Outlander at 107 mph on a road where the speed limit was 55 mph.
Lawyers for Maynard argue that Snapchat’s filter and ‘trophy’ system was to blame for her reckless driving. It also points out the power of the social media platform, as McGee took to Snapchat to post a bloody selfie following the accident.
For his part, Maynard had a long road to recovery, including a five-week stay in the hospital and is still suffering with permanent brain damage thanks to the accident. He can’t walk without a walker or get around without the use of a wheelchair depending on the day and has lost 50 pounds according to the report.
Maynard is suing McGee and Snapchat over this incident, meaning both the victim and the perpetrator of the accident are laying some blame at the foot of the social media company.
It remains to be seen if the lawsuit will have much merit, as Snapchat appears to have their bases covered from a legal standpoint. The company has a built-in warning before using the filter and its Terms of Service includes a warning against using it while driving:
“Do not use our Services in a way that could distract you from obeying traffic or safety laws. And never put yourself or others in harm’s way just to capture a Snap.”
The lawyers appear ready to go ahead with the lawsuit anyway because the feature hasn’t been removed even following this accident.
