Two bills have been introduced in the Florida House that would increase the penalties for texting and driving. Currently, texting and driving is not a primary offense. That means police must have another reason to stop a motorist, but can then write a ticket for texting and driving.
There are only five states in the U.S. where texting and driving is not a primary offense, and Florida is one of the states. Florida has only been writing tickets for texting and driving since 2015. That year, though, there were over 45,000 crashes in Florida caused by distracted drivers. Almost 200 people were killed as a result.
The two bills, HB 47 and 69, would not only make texting and driving a primary offense, but they would also make the fines double in school zones.
Some shocking statistics involving texting and driving could help drivers understand why it is so important to put their phone down:
— Nine Americans are killed each day in distracted driving accidents.
— Forty percent of teenagers say that they have been in a car when the driver was using a cellphone.
— Drivers are four times more likely to be involved in an accident when using a cellphone.
— It takes drivers an average of five seconds to send a text.
— Drivers can safely take their eyes off the road for two seconds.
As you can see texting and driving leads to far too many accidents. If you or a loved one have been injured in a accident, you do have recourse. You can seek compensation through a civil lawsuit with the help of an experienced attorney.
Source: fox13news.com, “Texting while driving could become primary offense in Florida,” Haley Hinds, Dec. 27, 2016