Distracted Driving Accidents – Should Florida Strengthen its Texting-While-Driving Laws?

If you’ve ever driven on the roads of Broward and Miami-Dade counties, you know just how treacherous it can be. A major factor that increases the danger of South Florida roadways is distracted drivers, namely those who text while driving. Almost everyone with a driver’s license is probably guilty of texting behind the wheel at one time or another, but the issue has become an all-too-common cause of unnecessary car accidents in South Florida, many of which have led to serious injuries.

Currently, texting while driving is only a secondary offense in Florida, meaning that a police officer can only cite you for the offense if you’ve been pulled over for a separate offense. Though texting may be a violation of law, almost any other use of a cell phone behind the wheel is completely legal. Unfortunately, because the current law doesn’t carry much of a threat, it has seemingly failed to discourage most drivers from holding off until a safer time to send that text.

Nearly 3,500 Americans are estimated to have been killed in distracted driving car accidents in 2015, alone. Florida House Speaker, Richard Corcoran stated that Florida lawmakers are currently reviewing the laws of 41 other states that have implemented various distracted driving laws to find the best approach for passing a law that may actually serve as a deterrent to Florida drivers.

One of the biggest concerns in crafting such legislation is the balance between safety on Florida roads and citizens’ civil liberties, considering how difficult it can be for law enforcement to actually prove that a driver was texting.

If you are a driver in South Florida and have been involved in a car accident, it is critical that you make every possible effort to take note of the other driver’s actions, especially if you are able to determine whether or not they were on their phone at the time of the collision. Your next step should be to consult with an experienced and skillful Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney to learn your rights, and more importantly, to ensure that your interests are protected, which is critical if you or your passengers were injured as a result of the accident.

For further information on this topic or any other, feel free to contact the Schulman Law Group at (954) 349-3300, or at info@schulaw.com