School drop-off areas are becoming increasingly dangerous because of distracted parents on cell phones, reports the Sun-Sentinel . Florida lawmakers have been dragging their feet to enact legislation on distracted driving.
Our Palm Beach injury lawyers and Fort Lauderdale car accident attorneys find it appalling that Florida lawmakers don’t put a ban on cell phone use in school zones and elsewhere.
For the past three years, a state senator from Miami has introduced legislation banning drivers from using cell phones in school zones. The bills have never passed. This year, it died in the transportation committee. With a growing number of accidents caused by distracted drivers, school districts have taken matters into their own hands. Broward County has placed warning signs in the district to not talk on cell phones and just recently added no texting while driving in school zones. Palm Beach County has no policy on cell phone use in car loops, but signs are posted at some schools warning drivers not to use cell phones in the drop-off/pick-up area.
It is a growing concern that has gotten the attention of the Palm Beach County Safe Routes to Schools Coalition. This is a group that focuses on student safety when it comes to them walking and biking to school. In Boca Raton, Addison Mizner Elementary School has had signs up for many years. The school’s principal reports that most parents obey the signs. Hagen Road Elementary just west of Boynton Beach puts reminders in the school’s news letter not to use cell phones.
According to Distraction.gov, 32 states ban texting while driving (12 states enacted their laws last year) and eight states prohibit the use of handheld cell phones by all drivers.
Florida lawmakers don’t seem to care that nearly 5,500 people were killed and almost 450,000 were injured due to distracted driving in 2009. Or maybe they don’t know that using a cell phone while driving is the equivalent of driving drunk. Or that drivers on a cell phone are four times more likely to crash. The best they have come up with is a bill sitting on the governor’s desk requiring driver’s education teachers to warn students on the dangers of texting and driving.
Avoid the following activities to prevent a distracted driving crash:
-Talking or texting on a cell phone.
-Eating, drinking or grooming.
-Talking to other passengers.
-Reading maps or using a PDA.
-Watching a video or changing the radio station.
If you have been injured in a car accident in Miami, Margate, Palm Beach or Fort Lauderdale, contact the Law Offices of Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez, LLC to be advised of your rights. Call today to make an appointment for a free consultation at 1-800-561-7777.
More Blog Entries:
New Teen Video Released to Decrease Risks of Fort Lauderdale Distracted Driving Car Accidents, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, April 5, 2011
A Lead Foot Proves to Increase Risks of West Palm Beach Rollover Car Accidents, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, April 11, 2011
Choosing the right car for teens may help prevent injuries in Fort Lauderdale car accidents, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, March 24, 2011