Texting and Driving
West Palm Beach Car Accident Lawyer
As smartphone use has increased across the United States, so has car accidents resulting from texting and driving. In 2021, this inherently dangerous practice lead to 56,000 distracted-related crashes in Florida alone, with 75% of those being caused by inattention behind the wheel, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. On average, Florida sees more than 1,000 distracted driving crashes every week, with the majority of these being related to texting and driving. According to a survey out of Zebra, 15.6% of young drivers (18-24) have admitted to texting while driving, and 20% of them admitted to not being familiar with their State Laws.
This unfamiliarity with State Laws, combined with assumptions around distracted driving behaviors like an overconfidence of one’s ability to multitask, can lead to dangerous results. In 2021, the FLHSMV data recorded 333 fatalities from distracted driving crashes, the highest amount in the past 8 years. When you take your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel, and your mind off driving, it can take you 27-seconds to recover and reorient yourself back to the road (hangover effect) – and if traveling at 55-mph, that 5-second distraction is equivalent to driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed and is more dangerous than driving while intoxicated. In an effort to curb all types of driving distractions (visual, manual, and cognitive), Florida implemented a Wireless Communications While Driving Law (316.305) on July 1st 2019, that saw a complete ban on texting while driving.
At Personal Injury Of Florida, our accident lawyers have seen first-hand the devastating effects that a distracted driving crash can cause, and we understand just how preventable these types of accidents can be. Our team is committed to educating the public about distracted driving, as well as helping victims of distracted driving accidents get back on their feet again. If you or a loved one has been injured in an automobile crash caused by texting and driving, contact us immediately to schedule your complimentary consultation with one of our Florida car accident lawyers.
Helpful Brochures
Parent and Teen Driving Contract Sample Employer Policy on Distracted Driving