This video is from a segment on NBC’s “Today Show” and features footage of a San Antonio bus driver using his cell phone right before crashing into cars stopped in front of him. While the video is a couple of years old and the clip gained widespread online notoriety, distracted driving remains just as much of a public safety issue now as it was then.
Despite the Tampa Bay Times reporting that electronic gadgets are to blame for more than 3,000 crashes in Florida in 2011, the Sunshine State is now one of only 15 states that does not have some kind of ban on texting and driving. While the Florida Senate is hoping the third time is the charm for getting such legislation enacted, the First Coast News reported on February 21, 2012, that leaders in the House of Representatives “have steadfastly opposed the measure.”
Despite the political gridlock over bans on cell phone use while driving here in Florida, there will still be increased advocacy efforts made across the country as part of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month coming up in April. Over the course of this week, we will examine some of the efforts that are planned for next month as part of the campaign and the prominent role that distracted driving plays in auto accidents.
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