If not operated properly, a motor vehicle is no less than a weapon on the road. The speed at which it travels, in addition to its size, make it hazardous in the hands of someone who is not focusing on driving. This is why distracted driving is so dangerous. A driver takes their hands, eyes and mind off of the road and, while there are various forms of distracted driving, such as daydreaming, eating, checking the GPS, talking to someone in the passenger or back seat or even drowsy driving, the most dangerous and pervasive form of distracted driving is texting and driving.

Texting is the most dangerous because it affects a driver’s visual, manual and cognitive abilities. As a result, a driver is not able to react to changing road situations and stop a vehicle on time to prevent car accidents that could have been avoided. Understanding the dangers of distracted driving, Florida has banned texting and driving as of this summer.

The law allows police officers to stop motor vehicles and give citations to drivers who are texting while driving. This means drivers cannot manually type or enter multiple letters or symbols into a wireless communications device to send an email, text or any form of instant message. When it comes to work zones and school zones, wireless communication device usage is altogether prohibited.

When someone is violating the law while driving, that person puts the lives of everyone on the road in danger. If someone is injured in a car accident caused by someone else’s negligence, it might be possible to hold them accountable for their behavior and prove that the driver was using a phone while driving.

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