Florida to Ban Texting While Driving

Florida lawmakers inched closer to a statewide ban on texting while driving and may finally be joining the 39 other states who have already banned it.

2013-04-12

MIAMI, FL, April 12, 2013 (Press-News.org) Florida may finally be joining the 39 other states with bans on texting while driving. Florida lawmakers inched closer to a statewide ban on texting and driving last Wednesday, when the House Economics Affair Committee cleared bill HB 13 by a 16-1 vote to make texting while driving a secondary offense. The House Bill is scheduled to go to the floor while SB 52, a companion bill, moves towards the full Senate.

HB 13 includes a ban on the manual typing of texts and reading of texts while driving. The talk-to-text feature on smart phones is excluded from the language of the bill, and texting at a stop or red light would still be legal. In this version of the bill, police officers must stop drivers for a primary offense such as speeding or running a red light in order to cite drivers for texting while driving.

If the bill is passed, a driver's first violation incurs a $30 fine and court costs. Subsequent violations within five years of the first offense add three points to the driver's license and a $60 fine. Six points are added if texting causes a crash. Driving in a school zone would incur additional penalties.

All forms of distractions while driving vehicles have potential deleterious effects on drivers, passengers, and pedestrians, but texting by far is the worse because it requires one's manual, visual, and mental attention simultaneously. In the Governor's Highway Safety Association's 2011 report, "Distracted Driving: What Research Shows and What States Can Do," at least one driver was reported as distracted in 15 % to 30% of crashes. Texting was found to increase the risk of crashing more than cell phone use; in fact, text messaging has been found to increase the risk of crashing 23 times when compared to driving without distractions.

Other disturbing statistics that support a ban for driving while texting include:

- 40% of teens have been in a car when a driver used a cell phone in a dangerous manner
- 26% of teens of driving age have texted while driving
- 48% of all teens ages 12 to 17 have experienced drivers texting behind the wheel
- Text messaging distracts a driver's attention from the road an average of 4.6 seconds; if driving at 55mph, that's the equivalent of driving the length of a football field blind
- Driving while using a cell phone reduces brain activity associated with driving by 37%

About Panter, Panter & Sampedro

The lawyers, at Panter, Panter & Sampedro, P.A. are proud of their outstanding reputation, which has been built around ethically, earnestly and successfully helping many clients in every imaginable type of personal injury case over the course of nearly two decades. Their personal injury lawsuits have had a positive impact on society. Call their Miami auto accident lawyer, toll-free, 800-593-6178, from anywhere in the state of Florida for a free consultation or visit their Web site, http://www.panterlaw.com, or YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/panterlaw, for more information.

Location:
Panter, Panter & Sampedro, P.A.
6950 North Kendall Drive
Miami, Florida 33156
Phone: (305) 662-6178
Toll-free: (800) 593-6178
Directions: http://www.panterlaw.com/Practice-Overview/#map

Additional Resources:
Miami Personal Injury Lawyer Blog: http://www.miamipersonalinjuryattorneysblog.com/
South Florida Accident Blog: http://www.southfloridaaccidentblog.com/

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Texas parents must receive the child support to which they are entitled

2013-04-12

The unfortunate state of the economy has led to national concern about spending. With the continuously increasing costs of almost everything, parents are quickly realizing the high expenses associated with raising children. Consequently, parents who are receiving child support payments are now, more than ever, depending on such income. Who pays and how much? In Texas, noncustodial parents are generally mandated to pay child support. Of course, the amount each parent is required to pay varies depending on his or her own financial situation. Generally, child support ...

New law for self-defence and defence of property

2013-04-12

New Citizen's Arrest and Self-defence Act is in effect as of Monday, March 11, 2013. It introduces a new concept to the law in Canada: arrest within a reasonable time. It also aims to simplify the self-defence sections, which have given rise to some of the most mind-bending legal reasoning in Canadian law. Prior to these amendments, the law of self-defence was a tangled bramble bush of special considerations, such as whether the accused provoked the attack, or reasonably believed his or her life was in danger, and whether the use of force was no more than necessary. ...

Jury Awards $6.5 Million to Family of Man Who Died at Danbury Hospital From Too Much Sodium

2013-04-12

A Danbury Superior Court jury today awarded $6.5 million to the family of a man who died at Danbury Hospital because of excessive sodium. This is believed to be the highest personal injury verdict from the Danbury Superior Court. Jeffrey Pattison, formerly of Newtown, was admitted to Danbury Hospital on March 1 and died on March 16, 2006, when his sodium level rose rapidly. He had been admitted to the hospital because he was hallucinating and incoherent. "Danbury Hospital clearly did not properly monitor Mr. Pattison and continued to administer a sodium solution ...

Coordination of Social Security Disability and Workers' Compensation

2013-04-12

Social Security Benefits vs. Workman's Comp Benefits While the federal government provides Social Security Disability benefits to workers, each state has its own workers' compensation laws. Social Security Disability To receive Social Security Disability benefits, you must be unable to perform any kind of gainful employment within your geographic region because of your disability. You also must be unable to work for at least one year or to be able to prove that your disability is going to last at least one year. While your disability can arise from any source, ...

Gwinnett Doctors at Rodriguez MD's Center for Medical Weight Loss Introduce 7-Day Full Meal Plans

2013-04-12

Rodriguez MD, a bilingual Lawrenceville clinic in Gwinnett Country and official Center for Medical Weight Loss (CMWL), introduces 7-day full meal plans. Their chef-designed Doctor's Orders meals contain the right balance of protein, carbs, and good fats patients need to be successful in achieving their weight loss and weight management goals. All Doctor's Orders dinners contain main dishes and side dishes around 550 calories. All meals have been signed off by the Chief Medical Officer at The Center for Medical Weight Loss. Plus, CMWL patients will receive 10% off first ...

Sheraton Atlanta Perimeter Hotel Featured on 11 Alive's Random Acts of Kindness

2013-04-12

Sheraton Atlanta Perimeter Hotel North, located at Atlanta Perimeter Center, was featured in 11 Alive's Random Acts of Kindness. 11 Alive is Atlanta, GA's NBC affiliate and the Random Acts segment showcases individuals or businesses that pay it forward to others by demonstrating how a small gesture can go a long way. Those deserving a random act of kindness are nominated online. The Sheraton's segment aired on April 9, 2013. In April 9's Random Act, 11 Alive reached out to new parents after getting a tip from some of their friends from church. The couple, Kristen & ...

Atlanta Bus Charter Company, Samson Trailways, Gets Involved Locally for National Charity

2013-04-12

The famous Hot Chocolate 15/5K came to Turner Field in Atlanta on January 13, 2013. The race was a success as it collected proceeds for an important charity and provided family-friendly fun for Metro Atlanta. Atlanta charter buses were used to help keep the event running smoothly all day. Atlanta charter bus company, Samson Trailways, offered convenient shuttle service throughout the event, running racers and volunteers to and from Turner Field. Samson Trailways supplied 17 school buses, along with coordinators, to help provide safe, reliable, and efficient shuttle transportation. This ...

Atlanta Staffing Agency, TRC Staffing Services, Inc., Discusses Unemployment After Hurricane Sandy

2013-04-12

Atlanta staffing agency points to Sandy for unemployment problem. TRC Staffing Services, Inc, a well known Atlanta staffing agency, is discussing the effects Hurricane Sandy has had on workers in the region. In addition to causing billions of dollars in property damage, the storm has left thousands of people desperately looking for work. Nature has an equalizing effect; homes and businesses alike were washed away or made completely uninhabitable. As a result, the unemployment line has grown larger by about 80,000. This is considered to be one of the largest spikes in ...

Marketing Tips from Prompt Proofing - Take a Look at Your FAQs

2013-04-12

No, we're not answering FAQs about marketing - we're suggesting that looking at your business's FAQs is a good place to start your content marketing. If you already have an FAQ page on your website - and it is still relevant insofar as it reflects the questions most clients have - use these questions as a base. If you don't already have FAQs, or your FAQs aren't as relevant as they could be, do a little detective work. Look back over your email enquiries and recent phone calls. What are your clients mostly concerned with? You should get a consensus of five to ten questions ...

Logan Creek Construction Breaks Ground on 500,000 Square Foot Facility to Expand Operations of Fresenius Medical Care at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport

2013-04-12

Logan Creek Construction, a national developer of industrial space, has commenced construction on a new 500,000 square foot manufacturing facility in the Dallas-Fort Worth Industrial Center. The facility is a built-to-suit project for Fresenius Medical Care, which will operate the property under a long-term lease and relocate from its existing location in Coppell, TX. As a result of the project, Fresenius Medical Care will add several new jobs with a substantial capital investment and grow its existing relationships within the Coppell and Dallas-Fort Worth community. Ed ...

Florida to Ban Texting While Driving

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: