Being involved in a Florida car accident can be frustrating, scary, and uncomfortable. But what happens when the cause of the accident was a distracted driver? This question has led many victims to contact a personal injury attorney in an attempt to seek compensation for physical and emotional distress.
Victims of distracted driving in Florida have two parties to hold responsible – the driver and the state government, which has failed to pass strong restrictions on distracted driving. In the early months of 2018, representatives in Florida promised to get tougher on texting. Already, the idea has floundered, paving the way for even more accidents and personal injury lawsuits.
If you or a loved one has been injured due to careless or reckless driving, contact an experienced personal injury attorney team at Fetterman & Associates. Our lawyers are prepared to fight for the compensation you deserve.
Florida Car Accidents: Texting and Driving
According to the Sun Sentinel, “The [proposed bill] has stalled in the Senate and will not be heard in its final committee. Its chair, state Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, cites worries about police invading drivers’ privacy and minorities being treated unfairly.”
The bill in question would make texting and driving a primary offense, allowing officers to pull offenders over immediately. Under current state law, texting alone is not enough.
To address concerns from Bradley and other representatives, an update to the bill added that police would be required to inform those pulled over for texting and driving that a request to search their phone could be refused without a warrant.
Officers would also be required to mark the ethnicities of drivers cited for texting and driving, allowing statistics about possible racial profiling to be gathered.
Still, in the final days of the legislative session (which ended in mid-March), representatives failed to act. It is unlikely the bill will face consideration again in the near future.
Statistics and Reports
Between 2013 and 2016, the number of accidents in Florida rose by 11 percent. The number of careless driving crashes, however, rose by four times that amount.
According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 600,000 drivers use electronic devices on a daily basis. In 2015, nearly 400,000 people were injured in distracted-driving accidents. Of these people, more than 3,000 were killed.
Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney For Representation
Being injured in a Florida car accident is difficult enough. Knowing the responsible party hasn’t been held responsible is even worse.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a distracted driver, contact our personal injury attorney team at Fetterman & Associates by calling 561-845-2510. Our investigative and legal team will work closely with you to ensure the best possible chance of receiving the compensation you deserve.