Recently, the Florida Budget Committee approved SB 416, which if passed into law will make it illegal to text and drive effective, October 1, 2012. There are an overwhelming number of Floridian citizens who support this measure which is very reasonable. Texting while driving accidents are a major contributor in Florida motor vehicle accidents that often kill or seriously injure another person. Also, if the bill as it is now written becomes law, a person who is found guilty in a criminal offense could face paying fines and court costs; as well as having their driver’s licenses suspended for a period of time due to point’s accrual.
Further, with any luck, Florida will not continue to be among the few states in the country without laws that prohibits texting and driving. According to the Huffington Post, 71 percent of Florida voters are in favor of the bill becoming law and the Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorneys at our firm are pleased to learn of the concern that our state residents have about this issue and share those same thoughts. Since there has been an increasing use of cell phones that are being used while driving and the rising of social media networks accessibility, too many people have died each year due to the negligence of a driver who was districted from driving because they were texting. Texting while driving is distracted driving and studies have shown that an estimated 15 to 25 percent of distractions are associated with all crashes in which there is a personal injury or death outcome.
Also, a report issued last summer by the Governors Highway Safety Association recommends that states take countermeasures that will reduce the number of wrecks involving texting. Among them are enacting a text law for all drivers and a complete cell phone ban for beginning drivers, enforcement of all existing cell phone and texting laws, and helping employers develop and implement distracted driving programs and policies. Hopefully, our state lawmakers will follow all of the recommendations of the Association and start by making Bill 416 a law. Although not all drivers will follow the rules, our Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers believes there are responsible citizens which operate a motor vehicle upon our state highways and will appreciate the safeness of their fellow drivers .
Our Fort Lauderdale distracted driving lawyers are here to help you or a family member that was injured in a motor vehicle crash and believe that texting or distracted driving was a factor. Besides texting, there are other types of cell phone distracted driving that are dangerous, such as checking an email while driving. The sad part with these kinds of accidents are that they are preventable and all that is required to avoiding these accidents are common sense and safety concern for other drivers and pedestrians. Yet, the law entitles injured parties the opportunity to recover damages by filing a personal injury lawsuit against the person who caused the accident. Contact our office today to consult with an attorney regarding your case and to learn what legal alternatives are available for you.
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