South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog
Our Port St. Lucie accident attorneys remind you to stay focused while driving to prevent a serious accident in Fort Pierce or the surrounding area.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood just attended an event celebrating the one-year anniversary of FocusDriven. This organization is the first of its kind dedicated to helping victims of distracted driving. Others in attendance included FocusDriven President Jennifer Smith, representatives from Safeway and the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) and family members of distracted driving victims.
In 2009, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported almost 5,500 people died and just under 450,000 were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver.
“Distracted driving is a deadly epidemic and when it comes to road safety, we will not take a backseat to anyone,” said Secretary LaHood. “That’s why distracted driving will continue to be a major part of DOT’s robust safety agenda. Together with advocates like FocusDriven and NETS, and employers like Safeway, we can put an end to this deadly behavior and save lives.”
The newest “Faces of Distracted Driving” video was shown, illustrating the devastating effects of cell phone use while driving. Also unveiled by FocusDriven President, Jennifer Smith, was a new 30-second public service announcement “5500 campaign”, which shows hundreds of pictures of victims killed by distracted driving.
The government estimates at least 5,500 people a year are killed in distracted driving accidents.
“In our new PSA, we want to remind people that each and every distracted driving fatality is someone’s loved one, and that person’s family is in tremendous pain,” said Smith. “Our new campaign will urge the public to put down the phone and focus on the drive. We cannot wait until others are killed or injured to take action. The statistics show that it’s no longer ‘if’ someone you know will be affected by distracted driving, it’s ‘when.’”
Shannon Campagna, Vice President of Federal Government Relations for Safeway grocery stores, announced the anti-distracted driving policy for all truck drivers of Safeway. Truckers are now forbidden from using hands free devices, texting or talking on a cell phone while driving.
“The safety of our employees, customers and residents in the communities where we operate is and always has been of the utmost importance to Safeway,” said Campagna. “This policy not only helps keep our employees and customers safe, but we believe it is a good business practice as it ensures that our products arrive safely and on-time. Implementation of policies limiting use of phones and mobile devices by more private companies will help minimize distractions for drivers and keep Americans on the road safe and healthy.”
Results were announced from Bill Windsor, Chairman of the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS), on their 2010 Drive Safely Work Week (DSWW) campaign. This promotion, encouraged employers to have anti-distracted driving employer policies in place. This campaign reached over 20 million U.S. employees from 5,000 organizations. To date, 88% of the organization have or will have a cell phone policy in place within the year.
“Employers can make a real difference in keeping their associates safe both on and off the job by educating them about the dangers of distracted driving and adopting policies to prevent it,” said Windsor.
If you or someone you love have been injured in a car accident in West Palm Beach, Margate, Port St. Lucie, or the surrounding areas call 1-800-529-2368 for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your claim.