Anytime a Florida driver takes his or her attention away from the road, it is considered distracted driving. According to the Washington Post, the number of pedestrians who are killed by distracted drivers has been on a steady increase every year since 2009. This has happened despite the fact that overall car accident deaths have decreased during that same period. In fact, the projections for future numbers of pedestrian deaths as a result of distracted motorists are expected to be even higher. Florida is actually the number one state for auto-pedestrian accident fatalities.
Part of the reason for a rise in such deaths is an increased number of people who are walking instead of driving. This may be due to higher gas prices or communities being built to encourage more walking and less driving. These people are also walking distracted, using cellphones, instead of paying attention to where they are going or to what is happening around them. Of course, drivers who are using cellphones, putting on makeup or doing other things while driving are just as much to blame.
Texting seems to be at the heart of this problem. Medical Daily reported that texting is a major issue because it involves all three types of distraction. It occupies the hands, diverts the attention and requires looking away from the roadway. Most states have some sort of ban on using mobile devices while behind the wheel, with many of them specifically banning texting and driving. However, it is becoming a social norm that is such a common behavior for drivers that it is difficult to combat.
