Florida Injury Attorney Blog

Considering that this week is National Teen Driver Safety Week, it is good time to remember that traffic accidents are the number one cause of US teenager deaths. As a matter of fact, teens are involved in three times as many deadly car collisions as adults.

Our Hollywood, Florida car accident lawyers have seen the havoc that can occur when a teenager is seriously injured or killed in a crash. It is our job to help minors and their families recover compensation from all liable parties. While Florida’s Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage may cover part of the expenses sustained from being injured in an accident, sometimes, this just isn’t enough—especially when serious injuries or deaths are involved.

That said, teen drivers have also been known to cause serious Florida traffic crashes, resulting in injury to themselves and others. One reason for this is that young people tend to get easily distracted, which doesn’t help when coupled with their lack of experience on the road. The variety of mobile technology now available to everyone these days doesn’t help. Already, it can be hard to pull kids away from cell phones when they aren’t driving.

Now, however, according to a study by Students Against Destructive Decisions and Liberty Mutual Insurance, even though teens are becoming more aware of how dangerous texting while driving can be, more than half of the 2,294 high school students surveyed said that they sometimes still text while operate a vehicle, while 28% say that often text while driving.

Granted, Florida has no law making texting or talking on a cell phone while driving illegal. That still, however, doesn’t mean that it makes either activity less dangerous. Other distracting tech-related activities that a number of the teens that responded to the survey say they engage in while operating a motor vehicle:

• Access the Internet on a cell phone
• Change songs on an MP3 player or iPod
• Update their MySpace and Facebook accounts
• Use an iPad or another technology tablet
• Shoot videos with their cell phones
• Take photos with their cell phone

It is no secret that distracted driving can kill people. Adults too can cause serious injury when they use their cell phone to do any of the activities mentioned above.

Even though the offending driver likely intended to cause no harm, the tragic consequences that can occur are real. You may be able to file a Ft. Lauderdale car accident claim against a distracted driver that caused your loved one’s death or your injuries. In some cases, the distracted driver was operating the other vehicle. In other accidents, the driver who was distracted was the motorist in your vehicle.

Liberty Mutual and SADD Study Finds Texting While Driving By Teens Not Affected By Their Awareness of the Dangers; Text Conversations With Mom and Dad on the Rise, Marketwatch, October 19, 2011

National Teen Driver Safety Week

Distracted Driving, NHTSA

Teen drivers, CDC

More Blog Posts:
Drunk Driving May Have Been a Factor in Palm Beach Garden Car Crash That Killed One Teen & Sent Four People to the Hospital, Florida Injury Attorney Blog, September 30, 2011

South Florida Pickup Truck Crash Kills 2 Broward County Teens, Injures Four Others, Florida Injury Attorney Blog, April 20, 2011

Number of Broward County and Palm Beach County Traffic Deaths Drop in 2009, Florida Injury Attorney Blog, July 15, 2010