Texting while driving? It could cost you!
Hello again, everyone. I have a question for you: are you
reading this while driving? If so, please stop immediately, put down the phone,
and keep your eyes on the road!
I’m sure you all know by now that distracted drivers cause a
lot of accidents. More and more people have smartphones and are using them to
send texts, take videos, or even snap selfies while they are on the road. You
probably see people doing this every day on your commute.
But you may not realize just how dangerous this is. The
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently released
a report that includes some alarming statistics about distracted drivers. In
2015, there were 391,000 (thousand!!!) people
injured in accidents that involved a driver that was distracted by their mobile
device. 3,477 people were killed in such distracted driving accidents. In 2016
another 3,450 people were killed. We can be sure in 2019 still more people will
lose their lives because drivers were using their smartphones instead of
keeping their eyes on the road.
Because using your smartphone while driving is such a
danger, most of states have passed laws against it. Up until this year, Florida
was one of the few states that did not have a texting-while-driving law. But
now it does, and not a moment too soon!
In 2017 a study showed that Florida was the second worst
state in the US for distracted driving (Lousiana was first). Studies
have shown that in our state there are
about 50,000 distracted driving accidents per year. That is more than five crashes
every hour in our state alone! I don’t need to tell you that that is far too
many.
The
new Florida ban on texting while driving law allows police officers to pull
drivers over just for using their smartphone or mobile device while driving.
The first offense will cost you a $30 ticket. The second offense will result in
a $60 ticket. This doesn’t include things like court costs and getting points
on your license. Using your smartphone while driving could get expensive fast!
Every day in my office I see patients who have been injured
and are in great pain thanks to car accidents. Many of these accidents involve
drivers who were paying attention to their phone and not to the road.
Let me
say it clearly: DON’T TEXT AND DRIVE! Under Florida’s new law, it could cost
you money. Worse, it puts your life in danger, not to mention the lives of
everyone on the road with you. If you really need to send a text, find a safe
place to pull over and park. Otherwise, that text can wait until you arrive at
your destination!
Stay safe out there friends!
Yours in health,
Christopher
B. Renne, D.C.
Active Medical & Chiropractic
4111
Atlantic Boulevard
Jacksonville,
FL 32207
904-398-4860
