AAA Report Reveals Dangers of Distracted Driving
A report from the American Automobile Association is giving us a clear picture of just how many of us are texting while behind the wheel. Nearly one out of five U.S. drivers admit they have read or sent a text message while driving, even though nearly everyone in the survey considered that unacceptable behavior. And among those surveyed by the Ford Motor Co., more than 93% of 1,000 licensed drivers say they support a nationwide ban.
It’s these findings that make a ban on texting while driving a key legislative priority for AAA in state capitals.
But so far, only about a dozen states have imposed prohibitions and Florida is not among them, at least not yet. Every year, legislators try to promote some sort of legislation that would restrict wireless communication while behind the wheel, and 2010 promises to be no different. I would predict that this year will make the difference.
Behind the push are recent federal statistics that 58,790 people were killed and 515,000 injured last year in vehicle crashes connected to distracted driving. That may not be an accurate picture as the Florida Highway Patrol is just beginning to include that as a cause of car crashes in Jacksonville and throughout the state on their accident reports.
Source report: http://www.aaafoundation.org/home/
