Parkland survivors have taken the gun control message across the U.S., but why have we not seen protests over texting and driving that kills over 11 teenagers every day? Is it right to take away an individual's gun, but let the protesters keep their cell phones while driving?ĭeVoe Moore is a Tallahassee businessman. According to a study by Car and Driver magazine, sober drivers who were texting or reading an email took significantly longer to react to road hazard than. Guns are not the killers it’s the person behind the gun. Cars are not the killers it's texting while driving. According to Highway Safety Fatality Facts, there are 11 teen deaths every day without protests. The latest Florida Department of Transportation statistics available as of 2018, report 3,477 people died, and another 341,000 injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2015 caused by drivers who were distracted while they were texting or using their cell phone.Īccordingly, statistics show texting while driving has become one of the country’s top killers. Until lawmakers change their current “head in the sand” approach, it is unlikely that we will see a reversal of the double-digit increases in teen deaths shown in each of the past five years. Perhaps if we can develop common sense approaches, we can reduce the percentage of teens (“admitting”) texting while driving to a number much lower than 35 percent. Text messaging increases the risk of crash or near-crash by. The AAA reports that 94 percent of teens admit that texting and driving can lead to deadly consequences, yet 35 percent of those still indicate doing so on a regular basis. Cell phone users are 5.36 times more likely to get into an accident than undistracted drivers. In addition, research indicates that the most dangerous type of distraction while driving is one that takes your hands off the wheel, your eyes off the road, and your mind wandering. We need to keep in mind that virtually all teen drivers have a cell phone at their disposal. In addition, when it comes to cell phones and distracted driving stats, texting carries the highest risk of all phone-related activities. According to AAA, cell phone distraction caused nearly 60 percent of teen accidents and 21 percent fatalities in 2017. A recent article in the Sun Sentinel recognized Florida as the second worst state for distracted driving behind Louisiana. The Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Department has reported that there have been approximately 50,000 accidents caused by distracted driving of which 233 resulted in death. The attention afforded the Stoneman shootings has overshadowed another critical legislative issue that is just as deadly, if not more so to our youth, texting while driving. Given the magnitude of this tragedy, it is not surprising that it has received both national and worldwide attention. Since that time, the state of Florida has put into place several laws intended to make schools safer. Immediately after this horrific event, both citizens and politicians have begun insisting that legislation be enacted to ensure that such heartbreak should never occur again.
The recent tragedy at the Stoneman Douglas High School has directed our attention to the importance of ensuring the safety of our youngest generation.
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