In Florida, distracted driving is a serious safety concern. This issue is the cause for many accidents throughout the state, causing serious and fatal injuries to many innocent motorists. Despite the well-known dangers of texting behind the wheel, there is no law yet in place banning this behavior. However, this could change soon with a newly proposed law.
Banning texting and driving is not a one-size-fits-all solution to eliminating distracted driving accidents, but it could reduce the number of accidents and make drivers more accountable for their decisions. Regardless of the laws that may or may not be in place, people hurt by distracted driving always have the right to hold liable parties accountable through a civil claim.
New bill, new accountability for drivers
At this point, texting and driving is not a primary offense in Florida. This means that law enforcement cannot write tickets for a texting driver unless that person is also committing another traffic offense at the same time, such as speeding. People have long thought that there needed to be a stronger stance against this type of negligent behavior, and lawmakers have recently proposed a bill that could change that.
There is a proposed bill making its way through Florida’s legislative system that would allow for the following:
- Texting would become a primary offense, which means police officers could stop drivers they see texting behind the wheel.
- Texting drivers would have to pay fines, and second and subsequent offenses could lead to points added to driver’s licenses.
- The stricter laws could bring more awareness to the issues and discourage people from engaging in this dangerous behavior.
This bill currently needs two more approvals before it can go to the House for a vote. Despite the growing problem of texting while driving, there are some lawmakers who believe this bill could violate the civil rights of certain drivers.
Your right to recovery as an accident victim
If a distracted driver caused an accident that left you injured, you have rights. You are entitled to a full and fair recovery, and you can pursue this through a personal injury claim. You may be able to secure compensation for your medical bills, damage to personal property and other losses.
It is smart to seek a complete evaluation of your case as soon as possible after an accident. This is a practical way to take quick action to protect your rights and long-term interests.
