We recently blogged about the proposed federal ban on cell phone use for all drivers in the United States by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Several states have already taken steps to ban cell phones behind the wheel in some form or another. Unfortunately, Florida is yet to ban cell phone use in any form behind the wheel.
According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), distracted driving causes approximately 8,000 car accidents every day in the United States. Florida lawmakers have made efforts with legislation, but the proposals never seem to make it past the committee stage. This is truly unfortunate for the younger generation of drivers. Texting has become second nature to teenagers and it is a dangerous distraction while driving.
Other states have taken initiative in an effort to reduce injuries and deaths from distracted driving. So far, 30 states have bans in place for texting while driving and 28 states have bans in place for cell phone use while driving. The Pew Center for Research discovered that over 25 percent of teen drivers admit to texting while driving. We hope that Florida catches up with the rest of the country in attacking distracted driving.
Colson Hicks Eidson – Florida injury attorneys