Even though they have ended up failing in the House of Representatives, there have been other bills similar to this one that have passed the Florida Senate repeatedly. Thirty nine of America’s fifty states including the District of Columbia, already have texting as you drive bans. A favorable 9 to 0 vote by the Florida Senate Communications Committee for SB 52 would ban motorist texting but would exempt emergency vehicles including police.
Under Senate Bill 52, police can charge a driver for texting, but only secondary to another violation that cause the traffic stop as in speeding, or a broken tail light. According to SB 52, the fine for texting as you drive will be $30. Furthermore, if the texting violation resulted in an accident, the motorist would have their driver’s license assessed six points. The spokeswoman for Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Courtney Heidelberg, said that out of the 171,538 auto accidents recorded in Florida during the period of the first ten months of 2011, there were almost 150 that happened due to motorist texting while driving when the accident happened.
A study that was released recently by AAA’s Foundation for Traffic Safety, found that motorist feel a growing concern about distracted driving but see it as a common practice. The Traffic Safety Index, which is what the study is called, gathered data that was based on the surveys taken from 3,896 residents of the US that were over 16 in age. The Traffic Safety Index found that American motorist do support the laws that discourage unsafe driving, like speeding, they still have a tendency to use unsafe driving behaviors themselves. The data gathered by the Index found 88 percent of US motorist uses a cell phone as they are driving, but considers it a threat to safety.
The Index also found 67 percent of those who were surveyed felt the problem of being distracted while driving bigger than it was only three years ago. Most of the people surveyed were concerned about the practice of distracted driving, in regards to supporting measures to discourage the behavior, they had a double standard. An alarming 68 percent of people surveyed confessed that they use their cell phones at least one time per month. Also alarming was the 32 percent that confessed to using their cell phones “fairly often” while driving.
Moreover, only 58 percent of those surveyed thought using a cell phone as they drove a threat to their safety and only 66 percent felt using a cell phone while driving to be “unacceptable.” When looking at these figures, it is apparent that there is a growing problem with distracted driving in the US. Because of the fact that electronic devices and cell phones are much more common, responsible motorist have to be more aware of drivers who are using unsafe practices. If you or someone you know like a friend or family member has been in a car accident that resulted in injuries, legal representation to protect your compensation rights is essential. Contact Jacksonville Criminal Attorney James Davis for a consultation today.
