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Parkland to Debate City Ordinance that Bans Text Messaging While Driving
September 15, 2009
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Adam Balkan, Balkan & Patterson
(561) 750-9191
Chrissy Lane, BARD Marketing/PR
(610) 723-1738
It’s no surprise to anyone that texting while driving is extremely dangerous, but Parkland city officials are no longer waiting for the state of Florida to take legislative action against it. Texting while driving could soon be illegal within Parkland city limits, as the city commission is considering an ordinance to ban text messaging while driving.
The ordinance could be brought before the city as soon as Sept. 14 to be discussed, making Parkland the first municipality in Broward County to ban texting while driving. Recent studies have shown that texting while driving can be as dangerous as or more dangerous than drinking and driving, which is a serious charge. A study released this summer by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute showed that the typical text message takes a driver’s eyes away from the road for more than 75 percent of the time – 4.6 seconds out of every six seconds. Distracted driving is the root cause of accidents, and it’s one of the easiest risks to eliminate.
To date, 17 states have outlawed texting while driving, and another six have banned talking on a handheld cell phone. There are varying degrees of strictness in each state, but all of the laws have one thing in common: keeping drivers and families safe. National attention has been brought to a number of accidents, including train and trolley accidents, which were caused by drivers who were distracted by texting or using a cell phone. It is becoming a national epidemic and is enough of a risk that a summit has been scheduled in late September by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, to analyze texting while driving and other forms of distracted driving.
Aside from the danger it poses to all drivers on the road, the economic impact on society is staggering. Cell phone use is a factor in more than 340,000 auto accident injuries a year, which translates into about $43 billion in damage, lost wages, medical bills and the loss of life.
While the issue has been on the state’s legislative agenda the past two years, little action has been taken. By effecting change locally, local officials are making Parkland, Lighthouse Point, Coral Springs and all of South Florida a safer place to live, work and drive.
Adam Balkan is a partner in the law firm of Balkan & Patterson. As a parent and a Parkland resident, he works to protect our communities and handles all types of personal injury cases, including class actions, product recalls, auto accidents and cases of child or special needs student abuse. For more information, visit us online at www.balkanpatterson.com.
