Distracted drivers
After numerous near-accidents with distracted drivers while I’ve been cycling and attempting to navigate lighted, controlled pedestrian crosswalks, I believe it is time for Florida to pass a distracted-driving law with more teeth.
According to the Distraction.gov website, currently 46 of 50 states ban texting while driving, and many even ban all handheld phone use while driving.
Unfortunately, Florida’s no-texting law is only a secondary offense, which means you can only receive a citation after being stopped for another infraction.
Look at the car next to you as you are driving Florida’s roads, and you’ll readily see that the secondary-offense status of Florida’s existing law is no deterrent to hand-held phone use.
How many lives need to be lost in accidents before the Florida steps up to the plate to stop this madness?
Earl Perque,
Plantation
This story was originally published July 30, 2016 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Distracted drivers."