Distracted Driving Continues To Threaten Sarasota Roads
Mark A. Steinberg
Traffic Accidents
As with the rest of the USA, the Sarasota and Charlotte counties have plenty of people on the road at any given time. Between having to drive to work, having to drive for work, and getting to destinations for recreational or social activities, many vehicles use Florida streets and roads.Unfortunately, this also means that more vehicles raise the risk of someone making an error. While there’s nothing inherently evil about making a mistake, some mistakes are minor. In contrast, others can cause property damage, injury, or even loss of life. Distracted driving is one of those errors.
A Rising Risk
Distracted driving has gradually overtaken drunk driving and even speeding as one of the leading causes of traffic accidents in the entire country. The national average now stands at nine people dying every day as a result of distracted driving fatalities.
It’s easy to see why. Today’s smartphone is more than just a verbal communication device. In addition to taking phone calls, it’s now possible to have video chats, text messages, and even access social media accounts, all within easy reach. That’s not, however, the only cause of distracted driving; it can be any number of factors.
For example, one of America’s most famous distracted driving accidents, almost resulting in the death of famed horror novelist Stephen King had nothing to do with phones. In 1999, he took his usual walk on the shoulder of a road near his home. He was struck by a driver who had turned to the dogs acting up in the backseat.
The Legality
As of January 2020, texting while driving has been upgraded to a primary traffic offense in Florida. Before this, it was considered illegal but was not a reason the police could stop a drive, but it could be added to a list of traffic offenses, such as swerving lanes or speeding. Now, however, if a police officer sees a driver texting while driving, even if no other traffic offenses are being committed, this is enough to pull a driver over and issue a fine.
If someone is fined for texting while driving, the first offense is $30. If there are repeat offenses, the fine doubles to $60, and three points will be deducted from the driver’s license. While this is a big step, there’s still one major issue; enforcement.
Catching Up
For now, Florida police are not being strict in enforcing this new law. Many counties aren’t even properly reporting fines for distracted driving, let alone the verbal warnings are given, with no other consequences. This is likely to change as time passes, but it does mean that distracted driving is still often going unpunished.
For Florida drivers, this means still exercising a great deal of caution on the road. Even if you are obeying all traffic laws and driving defensively, it’s hard to account for people disobeying traffic lights or swerving unexpectedly into lanes because they were checking notifications on their social media account. If you get injured by someone else’s distracted driving, talk to an auto accident attorney about your situation.