A little less than one month ago, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed a law banning texting while driving. The ban extends to emailing and instant messaging behind the wheel. Cell phone use is a common driver distraction, and can lead to car accidents. Many states in the US have taken the step of banning texting while driving, and Florida became the 41st state to do so.
Common driver distractions, including sending and reading text messages, can be dangerous on the road because it involves:
- Manual distraction
- Visual distraction
- Cognitive distraction
Texting really is a combination of the three types of distraction, because you are using your hands, eyes and mind for texting instead of driving.
Under Florida’s SB 52, texting while actually driving – you can still text while stopped in traffic or at a red light – is a secondary offense. With a secondary offense, you can be cited for texting only if law enforcement pulls you over for some other reason. Texting while driving cannot be the reason for stopping you.
If you or one of your loved ones suffered a personal injury after an auto accident that was not your fault, please contact the Law Offices of Michael Barszcz, M.D., J.D., to schedule a free consultation with our experienced Orlando injury lawyer.