Florida Kicks Off Distracted Driving Awareness Month with Statewide Call for Safer Roads
~ Our partners are encouraging drivers to Put It Down and Focus on the Road ~
TALLAHASSEE Fla. ~ April kickoffs Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, its division, Florida Highway Patrol, and our partners are encouraging drivers to Put It Down and Focus on the Road.
A crash occurs every 44 seconds in Florida, and one in seven crashes involves distracted drivers. Distracted driving is anything that takes your hands off the wheel, your eyes off the road or mind off driving—and that includes the passengers in your vehicle being a distraction. Last year, more than 52,900 crashes occurred because of distracted driving in Florida, resulting in over 2,100 serious bodily injuries and over 300 fatalities, the most since 2021.
Distracted driving kills. That is why in 2019, Florida passed legislation, the Wireless Communications While Driving law, that changed the enforcement of the ban on texting while driving from a secondary offense to a primary offense. This allows law enforcement to stop a vehicle solely for using a wireless communications device while driving, reinforcing Florida’s commitment to promoting public safety and preventing this dangerous behavior.
However, prevention should begin young through education, awareness, and demonstration. Studies found that drivers aged in their 20s were the most likely to be distracted at the time of a crash, accounting for more than 25% of all distracted-driving crashes.
With the widespread use of mobile devices, lack of driving experience, passenger distraction, and the role of parents’ influence in safe driving behaviors, early intervention is essential to building lifelong habits behind the wheel.
Many smartphones have ‘Do Not Disturb’ or ‘Focus’ settings that silence all notifications on your phone. If your phone and car both have Bluetooth capabilities, there should be a Driving Focus feature that will not allow notifications while you are driving.
Texting remains one of the most prevalent and dangerous distractions because it takes a driver’s eyes off the road, their hands off the wheel, and their thinking about something other than driving. All of which are the same abilities needed to drive safely.
If you need to text, look up directions or take an important call, pull over to a safe location and put your car in park. Or simply wait until you reach your destination. If you have a passenger, have them respond to calls or messages.
Taking a moment to enable these settings before you start your trip can significantly reduce distractions and help you stay fully focused on the road.
Distractions while driving also include, putting on makeup, tending to a child or passenger in the back seat, eating and drinking, adjusting the radio, or checking your car’s navigation system, and many more.
FLHSMV and FHP are dedicated to educating Florida motorists on the importance of avoiding distracted driving and informing motorists of current laws against distracted driving.
With every traffic stop, the Florida Highway Patrol and law enforcement officers statewide take the time to provide life-saving education to motorists, reminding them of the dangers of driving distracted and turning each interaction into a teachable moment. These conversations are an essential part of preventing future tragedies. Our goal is always to correct dangerous behavior before it results in a crash, an injury, or a loss of life. We never want a driver to learn the hard way, and we remain committed to doing everything we can to keep Florida’s roads safe for everyone.
