New data collected by Everquote ranks Florida’s drivers the second worst in the country when it comes to distracted driving, The Miami Herald reports. The study was completed by looking at the bad driving habits across the U.S., and it focused mainly on phone distractions like texting, talking, taking photos, etc.
Only scoring higher than Louisiana, the Sunshine State’s accident statistics are gloomy indeed. Florida sees numerous car accidents per year caused by distracted drivers, and analysts believe that phone usage is the underlying cause of this uptick in accidents, injuries, and fatalities.
Around 92% of U.S. drivers that own cell phones admit to using them on the road in some capacity, and that means that there are many opportunities to drive distracted.
What are Florida’s Cell Phone Laws?
Many believe that one of the main reasons why distracted driving is so rampant in Florida is the fact that texting isn’t considered a primary offense in the state. This means that a police officer cannot pull a driver over for texting alone; the driver must have also been committing another offense like speeding or not following road rules.
A texting violation can only be added on as an additional offense.
While there have been several attempts to pass bills that would ban wireless usage until a certain age, none have passed. Many lawmakers believe that enacting a stricter law would discourage such distractions.
The state of Vermont, for instance, ranked best in this recent distracted driving data, and it follows a strict cell phone usage law.
Cell phone usage has more severe consequences than most people realize, and there are numerous awareness campaigns in place to make people aware that using a cell phone while driving is always a serious risk.
Distracted driving accidents can be particularly difficult to gain compensation from since distraction must be proven. Consult with a Florida car accident attorney in order to make sure your case is given the compensation it deserves.
Contact Lorenzo & Lorenzo today for a free consultation, and see how we can help.
