Distracted Driving in Florida

Being involved in an accident can be a very frightening and stressful situation. Those who are responsible for causing an accident may also find themselves in a very difficult legal bind.

Even with the right insurance policy in place, life gets very complicated when a driver causes an accident.

To avoid creating a catastrophe, good drivers won’t speed, make unsafe lane changes, or perform ill-advised turns. Unfortunately, certain drivers get into the bad habit of driving while distracted. In Florida, this problem is reaching critical levels.

Enter your zip code above to compare car insurance rates from multiple companies at once!

What is distracted driving?

Distracted driving refers to exactly what the name indicates. A driver is paying attention to something else or engaged in a different activity rather than keeping eyes, ears, and concentration on the road.

There are three major categories of distracted driving:

• Visual – Anything causing a driver to look at something other than the road
• Manual –  Anything causing a driver to take his/her hands off the steering wheel
• Cognitive – Anything causing a driver to take his/her mental focus off of driving

Committing any one of these three forms of distraction, even for a split second, can cause a major collision. Driving in this manner is inseparable from being unsafe behind the wheel.

Distracted driving is not a new phenomenon because distractions are part of human nature. With the advent of so much modern mobile technology, it appears distracted driving is becoming a worse problem.

Well over 600,000 drivers are talking on their cell phones while on the road during peak daytime hours. The dangers of driving in this manner are enormous.

Sadly, due to various unsafe practices of distracted driving, more than 3,000 fatalities occurred on the road in 2015. During that same year, almost 400,000 people were injured.

– Distracted Driving in Florida

Incredibly, Florida ranks as the second-worst state in the USA for distracted driving.

In 2016, there were roughly 50,000 crashes for distracted driving in Florida, a state where texting while driving is not due cause for an officer writing a ticket.

Florida is also a state visited by millions of tourists who are not familiar with the local roads. Such drivers may have a hard time concentrating on the road.

– Florida Legislature

The legislature in Florida, sadly, has yet to truly crack down on distracted driving with serious penalties. There are few impactful laws on the books to dissuade people from distracted driving.

The state could implement more legal action in association with distracted driving, and the U.S. is seeing more and more states doing just that each and every year.

Laws About Distracted Driving In Florida

 

As already noted, cell phone use remains a common reason why people end up being distracted while they drive. Florida, however, does not maintain any rules or laws against talking on a cell phone while driving.

– Using a Cell Phone while Driving in Florida

Drivers in the Sunshine State are allowed to talk on a cell phone as much as they wish while driving in the vacationer-heavy state.

Although the law does make it legal to talk on a cell phone while driving, doing so is obviously not recommended. The dangers of an accident increase when using a cell phone while driving.

– Texting while Driving in Florida

Texting is extremely dangerous while driving. Fatalities have occurred because someone opted to text while driving even at a low speeds.

In addition to the extensive concentration required to type a message, the eyes are off the road and at least one hand is off the wheel. A bad situation could develop from such poor driving practices.

In Florida, the rules regarding texting while driving are somewhat curious. Texting is referred to as a secondary offense, which means law enforcement cannot pull someone over solely for texting while driving. 

A person texting while driving only receives a citation if he/she is pulled over for a primary offense such as going through a stop sign.

Additionally, no points are added to a license for a first offense of texting while driving, although a fine will be levied. Points come with additional offenses of texting while driving.

A movement is afoot to make texting while driving a primary offense. Time will tell if this movement gains any much-needed traction.

– Other Forms of Distracted Driving in Florida

As for eating and drinking non-alcoholic beverages while driving, Florida does not levy any seconds.

Eating and drinking while driving is not an offense, which is surprising. Once again, anytime someone is not concentrating on driving, there is a chance for an accident.

The Impact of Distracted Driving

Someone who is distracted might make a delayed reaction when a split seconds count. A distracted driver could veer off the road without knowing it, hit a divider or tree, or, possibly, venture into oncoming traffic.

Distracted driving does not just present a risk to the person behind the wheel. Passengers, other drivers on the road, and pedestrians are all at risk.

Distracted driving, simply put, is a huge danger to everyone in the vicinity of such a driver.

In the state of Florida, clear evidence shows that distracted driving is a menace. Roughly 45,000 accidents occurred in Florida during 2015. Two-hundred and fourteen of those accidents led to a tragic fatality.

When distracted driving is the primary cause of an accident, the sad truth is the accident would not likely have occurred if the driver was not distracted.

Ways to Avoid Distracted Driving

Proactive steps need to be taken by drivers who want to be serious about curbing any instances of distracted driving. A number of these steps are fairly easy ones and they enhance safety immensely:

– Put Your Cell Phone Out of Reach

Keeping a cell phone in the car is important for safety, but a cell phone in hand’s reach is a temptation. Placing the phone out of reach curtails the problem and prevents a driver from using the phone at an inopportune time.

– Avoid Eating and Drinking in the Car

In addition to ensuring the vehicle is nice, neat, and smells clean, not eating or drinking in a car reduces the potential for an accident. Imagine spilling a hot liquid while driving at a high rate of speed on the highway. The consequences of that simple mistake could be tragic.

– Make Any Necessary Adjustments before Driving

Is the seat too far back? Is the rearview mirror angled oddly? Fixing and adjusting things is a good plan but only before heading out on the road. Making adjustments while driving — no matter how helpful — is a distraction and may cause an accident.

– Enlist the Help of Passengers

Passengers are not in control of the vehicle. So if they are occupied with something such as turning on the air conditioner or straightening a mirror or reading a map, they won’t have a direct impact on adherence to the road.

– Pull Over before Doing Anything Else

Sometimes, the driver really does need to take direct action to address something. Do so after pulling off the road. Parking in a safe location for a brief bit of time and doing what is required to perform the task cuts down on the potential for an accident.

There is one more step drivers in Florida should take.

Comparison Shopping for the Right Coverage

Be careful when driving. Do not do anything that would undermine the ability to be laser-focused on the road.

Yes, drivers truly do need to do what they can to avoid unfortunate instances of distracted driving. Still, there are times when someone has a lapse in judgment or an event develops that makes avoiding a distracting impossible.

The end result could be being deemed negligent for an accident. Having a quality auto insurance policy with an appropriately protective amount of coverage becomes a much-needed safety net.

Effective comparison shopping among the many providers of auto insurance in Florida aids with locating the sought-after appropriate policy.

The policy could contain far more than the maximum amount of auto liability insurance. Comprehensive, uninsured motorist, and collision coverage should all be considered.

Enter your zip code below to find the best car insurance rates in Florida today!