What are Some Solutions to Texting While Driving that Might Actually Work in Clearwater?
Distracted driving has become a big problem when it comes to road safety across Florida, including here in Clearwater.
Thankfully, safety experts and policy makers are working hard to find possible solutions to texting while driving.
Distracted Driving Mobile Apps
Developers have raced to find their own solutions to the problem in recent years with a wide range of distracted driving apps designed to keep drivers focused while they’re behind the wheel.
- Pros to distracted driving apps: While they come in a variety of forms, distracted driving apps allow users to hold themselves accountable for their own behavior by installing software that makes it difficult to access a mobile device while driving.
- Cons to distracted driving apps: There are dozens of different distracted driving apps available, and each of them are a little bit different. While many of them are helpful, they still fall short of simply exercising some self-control and refraining from using mobile devices behind the wheel.
Florida’s Texting While Driving Ban
In 2013, Florida finally joined many other states throughout the country by passing a law that officially places a ban on texting while driving.
- Pros to distracted driving bans: By banning behaviors like texting while driving, governments can provide a clear message that distracted driving is unacceptable. The ban also provides real world consequences for those who continue to text and drive.
- Cons to distracted driving bans: Many argue that these laws simply do not go far enough. In Florida, for example, texting while driving is only a secondary offense, meaning officers can’t cite drivers for this behavior unless they’ve been detained for some other offense.
Educational Outreach about Distracted Driving
Some traffic safety experts believe that the only real solution to texting and driving lies in educational outreach.
Texting while driving will continue to be a problem until individual drivers realize how dangerous distracted driving really is. Much like drunk driving rates have dropped in recent years thanks in part to educational campaigns that made drinking and driving socially unacceptable, similar educational outreach is need in order to put texting and driving in a similar light.
Don’t delay. Get an evaluation of your case from our Clearwater injury law team by calling Abrahamson & Uiterwyk today at 727-217-5970.
Call us today at 727-217-5970 for a free evaluation of your case if you’ve been seriously injured in a car accident in the Clearwater area.