Car Accidents are the leading cause of death for teens across the nation. These young drivers are most likely to exceed speed limits, to take their eyes off of the road and to text message behind the wheel.
The truth of the matter is that texting while driving is a problem nationwide. According to NBC2, there are millions of accidents that happen every year that involve texting drivers. Still, texting while driving, or even talking on a cell phone while driving, is not illegal for any driver in the State of Florida. As a matter of fact, we are one of the only states left that has yet to enact these kinds of laws. To help to teach young drivers about the risks of text messaging while driving, a national push for the ban made a pit stop in Fort Myers. It’s AT&T’s campaign “Texting and Driving…It Can Wait” and it stopped by Fort Myers High School to spread the word.
Our Fort Myers car accident attorneys understand that a driver takes their eyes off of the road for an average of 5 seconds for each time they read/send a text message. If you’re flying down the road at 55 miles per hour, then you can travel the entire length of a football field without ever seeing the road. When this dangerous driving habit is coupled with a young driver’s inexperience behind the wheel — fatal accidents happen!
In addition to officials with AT&T, local law enforcement officers joined in the effort. Fort Myers High School is one of more than 10 schools that the campaign has visited so far.
“It’s important to try and build habits while they’re still fresh and say, permitted, as opposed to getting them when they’re hardened seasoned drivers,” said Deputy T.C. Tyus with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO).
According to enforcement officers with the Sheriff’s Office, drivers can be written citations for careless driving if they’re involved in an accident and are determined to have been texting while the accident happened.
Just last spring, lawmakers in the state of Florida tried to push a ban on text messaging and driving. Unfortunately, the proposal never made it through the house transportation committee.
According to CBS News, more than half of senior students in high school say that they text message and e-mail behind the wheel.
The National Youth Risk Behavior Survey concluded that close to 60 percent of these students that that they’ve done it in the last month. More than 40 percent of junior students are saying the same thing.
According to government statistics, teens send and receive about 100 text messages each and every day. Many of these are sent in the car, too.
What’s most alarming is that teens understand that this driving behavior isn’t safe, but they continue to do it.
Call Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, if you have been involved in a car accident. Call today for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights. 1-800-283-2900.
More Blog Entries:
Parents Shaping Teen Driver Habits through Example, Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, October 9, 2012
Traffic Safety Awareness in Southwest Florida Critical as Season Begins, Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, October 1, 2012