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“School starts for many Florida communities in August, and this means the traffic congestion will again return to our school areas. Motorists need to be vigilant in school zones and school bus pick up and drop off points. It only takes a second of distraction for a tragic accident to occur,” says Fort Myers Child Injury Attorney, Randall Spivey.

When looking at the school enrollment figures by county, they are staggering, and going up each year. This is evident by the number of new schools being built and those in the planning stages.

This year Lee County schools expect an estimated school enrollment of 92,590 and 11,000 full and part-time employees. Collier County schools expect an estimated 47,000 students and 5,000 full and part-time employees, and Charlotte County schools expect an estimated 15,046 students.

With more than 154,000 students alone in Southwest Florida, distracted driving and distracted walking become an issue. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation notes that the use of cell phones while driving plays a role in 1.6 million auto crashes each year, causing 500,000 injuries and 6,000 deaths. Driving while distracted is a factor in 25 percent of police-reported crashes and cost society about $230 billion a year.

The Florida Department of Motor Vehicles (FDOT) reports that there are three types of driver distraction:

1. Visual distraction takes your eyes off the road
2. Manual distraction takes your hands off the wheel
3. Cognitive distraction takes your mind off the task of driving 

FDOT further says that texting requires all three types of distraction. This makes texting one of the most dangerous types of distracted driving behaviors. Other common distractions include: talking on a cell phone, tending to children or passengers in the back seat, watching an event outside of the vehicle, such as the activities around schools and school bus stops, interacting with passengers, eating, unsecured pets, grooming, adjusting radio or climate controls and daydreaming. 

Florida Distracted Driving Law 

Florida State Statute 316.305 prohibits texting while driving in the State of Florida, and Florida has identified distracted driving as a traffic safety emphasis area. 

In Take Action Against Distraction, Safe Kids Worldwide reports that every day in the United States 60 children under the age of 19 are hit by cars while walking. There is often a danger of students crossing busy streets while being distracted by texting and talking on cell phones and with friends.

With technology comes a rise in distracted walking. In a study involving over 39,000 observations, Safe Kids Worldwide observed distracted walking in 1 in 4 high school students and 1 in 6 middle school students. These distracted teens were most often texting or wearing headphones.

“Distracted drivers combined with distracted students makes for a toxic combination. Everyone needs to be careful around school zones. Should you or a loved one be injured in an accident, contact the experienced personal injury attorneys at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.,” said Randall Spivey.

Fort Myers Child Injury Lawyer, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839, or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.