We have been discussing the ways you can reduce car accidents here in Oviedo, Florida. Now, there are new laws that will make it illegal to even hold your phone at all. While driving, it will be illegal to hold the phone in Florida.

As chiropractors and physical therapists treating car accident victims, this new law is everything and more. It is extremely important to focus one hundred percent on the road while driving. If you are involved in a car accident, we all know it can cause some pretty bad injuries. ProCare Health & Rehab Centers are here to help within the first few hours post incident.

In Central Florida, we have millions of visitors each year. These visitors only add to the number of accidents per day. It is not exactly that these visitors are worse drivers than the Florida residents already driving the roads every day. However, the visitors are usually following GPS guidance or listening to directions from a passenger in the car or over a phone call.

This is distracted driving as we have mentioned in this month’s blogs. Distracted driving is when the driver partakes in any other action besides driving. Speaking or listening to passengers included.

So, these drivers are causing car wrecks, car accidents, car crashes, or whatever else you would like to call them. They are dangerous. Being lost is not easy, so we understand, but it is time to make a change for the way you communicate while driving.

New Florida law will hopefully reduce car crashes in Oviedo:

This new law takes effect in October. The change was brought about by Democratic representative Emily Slosberg in Boca Raton, Florida. Representative Slosberg would like to make it illegal for a drivers, or motorists, to manually hold or otherwise touch a wireless communications device.

Slosberg was a largely involved in the law passed July first. This law prohibits motorists from using hand-held wireless devices in certain areas. These areas include designated school crossings, work zones, and school zones.

The law which went into effect already makes texting and driving a primary offense. A primary offense means law enforcement can pull over drivers for texting and driving. In contrast, it was only a secondary offense in the past. That meant law enforcement could only cite drivers for texting and driving if they had already pulled over the driver for others reasons.

Already, the Florida Highway Patrol has issued four hundred sixty-three warnings for texting and driving since July first. Statewide, Florida has issues six hundred five tickets for texting and driving.

Hands-free law:

Now for this new hands-free ordeal. The future is here. Law enforcement will enforce the new hands-free law starting October first.

Until the end of the year, officers are directed to pull over and only give warnings to motorists that do not put down their phones in school and work zones. Punishable as moving violations, tickets will be issued to drivers along with three points assessed against the driver’s license.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles wish to ensure all drivers are aware of the changes. It is mentioned all over the new and now, well, it is here too! Spread the word as it saves lives and will also save you a headache over a ticket.

Driving safety:

For Slosberg, it hits home especially hard as her twin sister was killed in a car accident. Sun Sentinel did not include if the car accident was caused by texting and driving or not. But Slosberg did co-sponsor the texting-while-driving legislation.

Moving forward, the hands-free legislation session will start January fourteenth. Stop by next time for more on everything driving, car safety, and car crash injury related. We hope you choose ProCare Health & Rehab Centers for your healing journey if you are involved in a car crash. Our offices provide chiropractic and physical therapy services custom to each patient’s injury, age, and lifestyle.

Staff Writer