South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog
As we recently reported on our South Florida Car Accident Attorney Blog, teenage drivers face some of the highest risks for distraction-related car accidents in the country.
Teenage girls are at the highest risks of all. But drivers of all ages are at serious risks for these kinds of accidents. As more and more drivers engage in even more distractions, our risks for collisions continue to skyrocket. To help to minimize these risks, safe driving advocates nationwide are recognizing National Distracted Driving Awareness Month 2012. Every April, the National Safety Council (NSC) launches this month-long campaign with the hopes of getting drivers to keep their eyes on the roadway and off of needless distractions.
Our Parkland injury attorneys understand that more than 3,000 people were killed in 2010 because of distracted drivers. What’s most unfortunate is that each and every single one of these accidents was preventable. These kinds of accidents are alarmingly common in the state of Florida because we have no laws on the books that are stopping drivers from making phone calls and sending texts behind the wheel. As a matter of fact, we’re one of the only states in the country that has yet to attack these dangerous driving habits.
According to WJGH, cell phones are the number one cause of distraction on our roadways. Drivers are outlawed from talking on cell phones in 26 states, but not in Florida. Florida drivers can drive whenever they want while talking on a cell phone and composing text messages.
According to the Harvard Center of Risk Analysis, cell phone-using drivers are involved in roughly 600,000 auto accidents a year. It gets worse. While these drivers face increased risks for accidents, drivers who text behind the wheel are about 23 times more likely to get into an accident. As a matter of fact, experts predict that distractions are involved in about one out of every four accidents on our roadways.
Still, bill after bill gets rejected in the state even though research shows that these kinds of laws can actually help roadway safety. The state of California recently banned the use of all hand-held communication devices. The state has already seen a more than 22 percent reduction in the number of roadway fatalities.
In honor of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month 2012, we’re asking drivers throughout the state to drive in spirit of the campaign and to take the pledge to drive distraction free. Curbing these distractions can help to save thousands of lives every year. Really no text or phone call should be worth someone’s life.
If you or someone in your family has been injured or killed in an distraction-related car accident in Hallandale, Royal Palm Beach, Pompano Beach or elsewhere in the area, contact the personal injury lawyers of Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez, LLC to set up a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call 1-800-561-7777.
More Blog Entries:
Risks for Car Accidents in Wilton Manors and Elsewhere Increased with Florida’s Legislative Neglect
March 21, 2012
Drunk Driving Car Accidents in Hallandale More Likely through Spring Break
March 9, 2012