The phrase “distracted driving” encompasses many poor driving behaviors, though it’s often equated with cellphone use. Many of us are so used to some of these behaviors, that they’re more like habits. Eating while driving, changing the radio dial, texting, talking on the phone—these are all part of distracted driving.
Distracted driving is a major problem in Florida and across the nation. To curb the practice, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has made April Distracted Driving Awareness Month. With over 40,000 accidents annually and more than 200 fatalities due to distracted driving accidents, the agency hopes education will lead to safer roadways.
Why Distracted Driving is a Problem
Taking your attention away from the road for just one moment can have disastrous consequences. Distractions can impair drivers in three ways: visually, manually, and cognitively.
Visual distractions occur when a driver takes their eyes off the road. Whether one is rubber-necking an accident, admonishing kids in the back seat, or trying to get the temperature controls right, visual distraction means you may not see someone stopping in front of you, among other things.
Manual distraction is when a driver removes their hands from the steering wheel. When one is eating or feeling around for a dropped object, they may not be prepared to maneuver the vehicle if needed.
Cognitive distraction is when one is thinking about something other than driving. Daydreaming rather than paying attention to traffic slowing down or a pedestrian jaywalking can be dangerous.
Texting while driving falls under all three distractions, thus why it is a major focus of the department’s distracted driving campaign.
Tickets Associated with Distracted Driving
Distracted driving can lead to ticketable offenses. When focus isn’t on the road, drivers may accidentally ignore traffic signs and signals and drive carelessly. Here are some of the offenses a distracted driver may be charged with.
Speeding
When your attention is 100% on the road, you may not see a speed limit sign and inadvertently drive faster than the posted speed. Similarly, distraction can cause those with a lead foot to unconsciously accelerate out of habit. A distracted driver may not realize they are going too fast until the flashing lights appear in the rearview mirror and they’re handed a crisp, new speeding ticket.
Careless Driving
A ticket for careless driving can be issued to a driver who fails to take into account the condition of the road, who isn’t handling curves and turns properly, or who fails to give right of way, among other things. Distracted driving can easily lead to a careless driving ticket.
Texting while Driving
Texting while driving is itself a distracting behavior. A ticket for texting while driving can only be administered in addition to another ticket, like a speeding ticket or a careless driving ticket, which means that a driver can be struck with multiple tickets for one instance of distraction.
Consulting with a Florida Distracted Driving Lawyer
Have you received a traffic ticket for an offense associated with distracted driving? If so, know that you don’t have to just pay up and accept the points on your license. Challenging a traffic ticket isn’t always easy, however, hiring Florida Ticket Firm to take care of it for you can help diminish the burden.
Florida Ticket Firm has cleared over a million tickets for Florida residents—and we’re working on clearing another million. We are well-versed in traffic law and know what type of evidence can be discredited as well as when to questions processes and procedures followed by ticketing officers.
Rather than parking yourself in the courtroom for hours and losing valuable time from work, hire Florida Ticket Firm to deal with the court proceedings for you. Our skilled Florida traffic ticket lawyers have years of experience and have garnered many successful outcomes for our clients.
Don’t just take the ticket—challenge it. Contact us today to get started.