In Florida and throughout the United States, distracted driving is an ongoing problem. This is true despite campaigns to encourage drivers to put their devices down and pay attention to the road. Even with increasingly harsh penalties if a driver is cited, failure to watch the road remains an issue. Drivers ignore the known risks and believe they can multitask and do so safely. Unfortunately, this often leads to an auto accident with injuries and fatalities. Understanding this behavior is crucial to try and avoid a crash. If an accident does occur, proving that the driver was distracted can be essential to a legal case.
Florida lawmaker hopes to pass new distracted driving laws
In 2019, Florida had 271 fatalities because of distracted driving. A recent law in the state that made it illegal to text and drive is being pushed further by a Florida lawmaker who had a strong hand in the initial law. The new hope is that drivers will be cited if they even have their phone in their hand when they are driving.
Currently, state drivers are forbidden to hold their phone in their hand in a work zone or near a school, but the lawmaker wants it to go beyond those limits. The statistics for texting and driving bear out its risk. People who are accustomed to having their phone close at hand simply continue that behavior when driving despite the potentially negative consequences. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says there are around 400,000 injuries because of distracted drivers each year.
Auto accidents can cause long-term challenges
Regardless of the cause of an auto accident, the aftermath will have a litany of challenges for a person and his or her family to face. That includes medical costs, the need for extensive care, problems getting back to work, being unable to care for a family and more. If there is a fatality and the loss of a loved one, the personal, financial and emotional aftereffects are made exponentially worse.
The cause of the collision may be a fundamental factor in a successful legal filing and a full investigation can gather evidence. A legal firm with experience in personal injury cases can assess the situation and take the appropriate steps to move forward in pursuing compensation.
