The following is guest post by the Chicago personal injury attorneys, Dolan Law Offices:
Currently, 39 states plus the District of Columbia have some sort of ban on cell phone use and driving. Six states and Washington D.C. prohibit all handheld cell phone use. Other states have more limited bans and prohibit texting and driving or limit the bans to certain high risk groups such as novice drivers or school bus drivers, for example.
Florida currently has no ban on talking or texting while driving. To make matters worse, Florida prohibits localities from passing their own ordinances to deal with the threat of cell phone use while driving.
How Big a Threat are Drivers Who Use Cell Phones?
Drivers who are talking on their cell phones while driving are diverting their eyes from the road, their hands from the steering wheel, and their concentration from the serious responsibility of driving safely. According to the federal government's website, www.distraction.gov, approximately 6,000 people died and more than a half a million were injured by distracted drivers in 2008.
What Can Floridians Do About the Problem of Distracted Driving?
Floridians can do three important things to combat the serious problem of distracted driving accidents. First, we can pressure our state lawmakers to enact laws that prohibit cell phone use while driving. Second, we can drive defensively and anticipate that other drivers may be distracted because they are talking or texting and driving. Finally, we can hold people legally accountable if they cause an accident because they were distracted from driving safely.
If you have been hurt in a distracted driving accident then it is important that you do your part by contacting a lawyer to determine your rights to recovery and to hold the distracted driver responsible for the damages caused by his or her inattention.
The personal injury attorneys of Dolan Law Offices are committed to helping victims of distracted driving accidents recover the fair and equitable damages to which they are legally entitled.
