Articles Posted in Distracted Driving

The rise of technology has been convenient for a lot of day-to-day tasks. With the click of a button, we can figure out the nearest restaurant and how to get there. But there is a downside as well. Technology-related distractions, such as the use of cell phones, have contributed to many accidents on the road. If a driver who was using their cell phone behind the wheel has injured you, you may be entitled to compensation. At the Law Offices of Robert Dixon, our Miami distracted driving accident lawyers are committed to holding negligent drivers accountable for the harm that they cause.

According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, the United States has seen a 14 percent spike in roadway fatalities over the last two years. It has also seen the biggest back-to-back increase in auto accident death rates per mile driven in more than 50 years. In 2016 alone, over 37,000 people died in roadway accidents. This group includes drivers, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians.

Many blame the increase in accidents on technology-related distractions, such as cell phones. Official figures from the U.S. Department of Transportation rebut this sentiment, showing that only about 9 percent of traffic deaths are caused by distracted driving in general and even fewer specifically by phone use. However, the National Safety Council (NSC) has challenged this data, pointing out that police reports often lack the ability to record technology-related distractions as the cause of an accident. Additionally, many times, the report is contingent on the driver admitting to the distraction, which leads to systematic undercounting. Both the NSC and a recent study by Cambridge Mobile Telematics claim that cell phones play a much larger role in accidents than official figures show. In fact, the NSC claims that based on the under-reporting of distracted driving crashes, the number of fatal crashes that actually take place each year could be double what is recorded in federal data.

Texting and driving is a huge problem in Florida and throughout the United States. Drivers who are distracted on their phones while driving often end up causing serious accidents. In an effort to combat this problem, Florida passed a law in 2013 that bans texting and driving. Florida was one of the last states to pass this law.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 3,154 people were killed and an estimated 424,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2013. In April, the NHTSA launched a “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” campaign that focused on the financial consequences and expenses of texting and driving. The United States Department of Transportation also coined a slogan  to raise awareness about texting and driving: “if you’re texting, you’re not driving.”

Under Florida law, if a driver in the state is suspected of committing a traffic violation while texting, that driver can be fined up to $60. However, a person will only be fined for texting and driving as a secondary offense when coupled with the suspicion of another traffic violation. It is important to note that the statute’s express language says that a driver will not be penalized if the vehicle is parked or temporarily stopped. Another exception is if an individual is communicating with law enforcement about suspicious or dangerous activity.

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