Miami Personal Injury Lawyer News – The state of Florida was recently ranked as second in the country for being the state with the most distracted drivers. The study was conducted by the online insurance company EverQuote. EverQuote used several measures for the study including driving behaviors such as hard braking, speeding, sudden accelerations, and other aggressive driving movements, while motorists used their cell phones. Using this information, Florida was ranked second behind only drivers in Louisiana when it came to distracted driving.
This is important because distracted driving causes serious accidents. The Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles in Florida reported that nearly 50,000 accidents last year were caused by distracted driving. This resulted in over 200 wrongful deaths and more than 4000 personal injuries. However, state officials think that these numbers are a bit low as not everyone volunteers information that they were on the phone at the time of the accident.
These numbers support the fact that distracted driving is dangerous and now the question is why is the legislature not doing more about it?
Florida Laws on Distracted Driving
Miami Personal Injury Lawyer – Distracted Drivers Injuring Miami Drivers
In the state of Florida, a police officer may not pull a driver over simply for being on their mobile phone. The reason for this is because texting and driving is not considered to be a primary offense. This means that a police officer has to cite other driving offenses before they may add distracted driving to a ticket. Florida is currently only one of four states that does not allow police officers to pull over a driver for texting while they are driving as a primary offense. This law may soon be changed. If you are pulled over for texting while driving or if you are involved in an accident caused by distracted driving, it is important to contact a Miami injury lawyer to ensure your rights are protected.
A bill has been introduced to the House of Representatives that would make texting and driving a primary offense. If this law passes, it is thought that it would help limit mobile phone use when driving. This will limit distractions and should decrease the number of car accidents that occur in Florida. However, cell phone use may not be the only culprit when it comes to distracted driving.
Distracted Driving and In Car Technology
Car manufacturers have made many advancements in accident prevention technology. Cars today come with navigation screens, WiFi, bluetooth capabilities, and more. All of this can be accessed through a touch screen. However, the problem with technology is that it does not always work the way that it is supposed to. When this happens, a driver may become distracted trying to figure out what is wrong.
When a driver is trying to complete a task on the touch screen, they are not fully engaged with their driving responsibilities. This can cause accidents to occur.
To help with this problem, some car manufacturers have installed programs that will not allow smartphones to be used while the car is in motion.
In addition, there are car insurance companies that offer premiums at a lower price for drivers who will submit to having their phone use monitored while they are driving. The insurance companies will award motorists for good behavioral patterns. It is important to note that some of these “promotions” offered by insurance companies may be used to punish those who demonstrate reckless driving behaviors on repeated occasions and may result in paying higher premiums rather than lower.
Injured in an Accident? A Miami Personal Injury Lawyer can Help
Miami Personal Injury Lawyer – Distracted Drivers
If you are injured in an accident that occurred as a result of a distracted driver, you may be owed compensation for your injuries. A Miami personal injury lawyer will be happy to discuss your case with you in order to determine whether or not you are owed compensation as a result of the accident.
A quality personal injury lawyer in Miami is familiar with the laws regarding technology and driving. They will discuss all of the details of the accident with you and help you determine whether or not the other party owes compensation for the damages and injuries that occurred as a result of the accident. If you are involved in any type of accident, and the other driver is at fault, contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible to discuss your case.
We handle a variety of cases, so call us now if you have any questions.
View more contact information here: Miami Personal Injury Lawyer.
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