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Texting and Driving - a Primary Offense

May 20, 2019 | Category: Automobile Accidents | Share

According to the Florida Highway Safety Motor Vehicles Department, distracted driving causes over 50,000 vehicle accidents every year. EverQuote Inc., an online insurance company, says that 92 percent of our nation’s drivers have used cell phones while in a moving vehicle in the last 30 days.

Both the Florida House and Senate worked on bills during this legislative session to try to change driver behavior when using cell phones.

The Florida House voted 104-9 on House Bill 107 which changes texting while driving from a secondary offense to a primary offense. As a secondary offense, a driver has to be pulled over for some other reason before he or she can be cited for texting behind the wheel. Representative Emily Slosberg, a co-sponsor of HB 107, said, “This bill is about one thing, saving lives.”

The Florida Senate also addressed this issue. Senator Wilton Simpson from District 10, along with 10 other senators, introduced a bill on November 11, 2018 titled “Driving While Using a Wireless Communications Device.” The original bill focused on texting while driving, but there have been edits to the bill to expand it to include any use of a wireless device while driving.

House Bill 107 making driving while texting a primary offense passed and Governor DeSantis signed the bill into law. It will become effective July 1, 2019.

It is important that everyone on our roads drives undistracted. It only takes a moment of inattention to result in an accident, injuring or killing others.

The Florida Highway Safety Motor Vehicles Department says there are three categories of driver distraction: visual, manual and cognitive.

Texting and Driving - A Primary Offense - Spivey Law 

Texting while driving combines all three types of distraction, which makes it one of the most dangerous of distracted-driving behaviors.

“A vehicle accident victim can be left with a lifetime of pain and suffering along with medical bills, lost wages, and a loss of the quality of life. Our firm assists clients throughout the process, including accident investigation, dealing with insurance companies, and helping in finding qualified physicians. Should you or a family member be injured in an accident due to the negligence of another driver, please contact our experienced legal team. We are available to assist you 24/7,” said Fort Myers Distracted Driver Attorney Randall Spivey of Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.

 

Fort Myers Distracted Driver Attorney is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839, or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.

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