April has officially arrived, and with it, a massive push from Florida officials to get drivers to stop looking at their screens and start looking at the road. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), alongside the Florida Highway Patrol, launched its “Put It Down” campaign today to mark the start of Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
The numbers coming out of Tallahassee are sobering. In Florida, a car crash happens every 44 seconds, and one out of every seven of those wrecks involves a distracted driver. Last year alone, the state recorded more than 52,900 distracted driving crashes.
These incidents led to over 2,100 serious injuries and more than 300 deaths—the highest fatality count the state has seen since 2021.
State officials are pointing to a specific demographic as the primary concern. Drivers in their 20s accounted for more than 25% of all distracted driving crashes last year. Authorities believe a combination of high mobile device usage, a general lack of experience behind the wheel, and the influence of passengers contributes to this spike among young adults.
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While texting is the most cited culprit, the FLHSMV defines distraction as anything that takes a driver’s hands off the wheel, eyes off the road, or mind off the task of driving. This includes common habits like eating, adjusting the radio, checking GPS, or even tending to children in the back seat.
To combat this, Florida law changed in 2019 to make texting while driving a primary offense. This gives law enforcement the authority to pull over a vehicle solely for using a wireless device.
“Distracted driving kills,” the department noted in its release, adding that every traffic stop is being used as a “teachable moment” to correct dangerous habits before they lead to a tragedy.
Safety experts are urging motorists to use “Do Not Disturb” or “Focus” settings on their smartphones, which can automatically silence notifications while a vehicle is in motion. For those who absolutely must take a call or check a map, the advice from the Highway Patrol is simple: pull over to a safe location and put the car in park first.
As the statewide campaign continues through the end of the month, troopers will be out in increased numbers to educate the public and enforce the hands-free laws, aiming to reverse the recent upward trend in road fatalities.
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