Distracted Driving Laws Fail to Pass in Florida
In today's highly technological world, distracted driving is one of the primary causes of auto accidents. Various state legislatures across the country have caught on to the dangers of using mobile devices while driving and have passed laws that ban or limit the use of cell phones or texting while behind the wheel. Unfortunately, Florida has yet to follow suit.
Police and educators in Florida continually spread the message about the dangers of distracted driving, but efforts remain unproductive. Currently, the state of Florida has not passed laws that specifically restrict the use of cell phones or texting while driving.
Last session, the Florida legislature introduced a bill, but the bill did not pass the committee stage. Legislators are pledging to try again in the next session. Seemingly every year, legislators propose legislation in hopes of passing distracted driving laws in Florida. Every year, it either fails to pass or is voted down in committee. While there is still a chance of legislation passing in the next session, it will more than likely suffer the same fate as the prior efforts.
Sending Mixed Signals to Teens
For younger drivers, the message of distracted driving is getting lost in mixed signals. Teens are continuously reminded about the need to be attentive and keep their eyes on the road and about the dangers of using mobile devices while driving. But while other states are passing laws that ban handheld mobile devices while driving, Florida has yet to pass such a law. Some say that because there are no penalties like loss of license or fines associates with using mobile devices while behind the wheel, teens are reluctant to think the issue is really all that imminent and therefore don't take the advice seriously.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, handheld cell phone use is banned in some fashion in 19 states, and texting is banned in 30. For teen drivers, 28 states have placed restrictions on the use of cell phones for texting or talking while driving.
