Florida’s Distracted Driving Law
According to a news report on the issue published by the Palm Beach Post, while the Senate allowed for the additional requirement of reporting race and ethnicity into the bill, it rejected a proposal to require motorists to be completely hands free from electronic devices while driving. SB 90 would have allowed Florida drivers to make phone calls and use GPS systems while behind the wheel. The House version of the bill, House Bill 33 (HB 33) does not have the race and ethnicity recording requirement like its counterpart in the Senate.
SB 76, according to the Tampa Bay Times, has broad language that encompasses several types of distracted driving – not just using a cell phone or texting. Indeed, the language in the bill includes any other activity that could distract a driver. The broad language in the bill allows for the use of other technology to be banned without having to amend the law, and it will place Florida’s approach to the issue more in line with the rest of the country. As of now, Florida is only one of four states in the nation in which texting while driving is a secondary and not a primary offense. If the new legislation is passed, Florida would have one of the strictest distracted driving laws on the books in the United States.
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Florida Distracted Driving Statistics
In 2017, Florida ranked second in the nation only behind the state of Louisiana for distracted driving in the U.S., according to a news article published by the Sun-Sentinel. The data that was collected and released by EverQuote, Inc., an online insurance company, recorded several measures on a motion-sensor app called EverApp. Driving behaviors that were measured included aggressive turning, hard braking, sudden acceleration, and overall speeding, among other factors. The findings suggested that as much as 92% of drivers across the country with cell phones have used them while in a moving vehicle in the prior 30 days. The app logged 230 miles driven and 2.7 million vehicle trips and found that Florida drivers received the second-worst score for driving while distracted, according to the study.
As of now, Florida is only one of four states in the nation in which texting while driving is a secondary and not a primary offense.
If you or someone you know has been hurt in a Florida car accident due to the fault of a distracted driver, you may be entitled to monetary compensation for harm you suffered as a result of his or her negligence. With 40 years of experience representing the injured across Florida, the skilled personal injury attorneys at Bogin, Munns & Munns can guide you every step of the way. Contact us today for your free personal injury consultation.
NOTICE: The article above is not intended to serve as legal advice, and you should not rely on it as such. It is offered only as general information. You should consult with a duly licensed attorney regarding your Florida legal matter, as every situation is unique. Please know that merely reading this article, subscribing to this blog, or otherwise contacting Bogin, Munns & Munns does not establish an attorney-client relationship with our firm. Should you seek legal representation from Bogin, Munns & Munns, any such representation must first be agreed to by the firm and confirmed in a written agreement.
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