According to a recent study, Florida ranks second among all states, after Louisiana, for the number of admitted distracted drivers. A whopping 90% of drivers admitted to using a phone while driving in Florida. As many people know, this problem is compounded when accidents occur because many drivers drive around uninsured on Florida roads. If you’ve ever driven down I-95 or I-595 or Florida’s Turnpike, you know these distracted drivers can cause havoc on the roadway so you constantly have to take a defensive driving posture.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles recently reported nearly fifty thousand car accidents involving distracted drivers on Florida roads. You can only imagine the amount of personal injury and wrongful deaths that this caused in Florida. With many drivers believing they are safe drivers even though they admit to using a phone while driving, it seems certain that the number of personal injury and wrongful deaths will not be decreasing in the near future. Many people don’t even realize how often they read a text, check social media, or respond to quick email while their car is moving. Anytime you do one of these actions, you inevitably take your eyes off the road. A mere second or two of taking your eyes off the road can cause a catastrophic accident; with the rate of speed cars travel they can cover hundreds of feet in seconds.
Unfortunately, Florida law does not allow for issuance of traffic tickets for people that text while driving. Florida is only one of four states that doesn’t make this a primary traffic offense. To combat the dangers of this practice, it’s essential to educate ourselves, especially newer and less experienced drivers, about the dangers of texting while driving.
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