This week AAA announced it was asking members to push the 2012 Florida legislature to adopt stricter laws against texting and driving. They are also seeking a new law which would put children who ride in cars into a booster seat until they pass the age of five. AAA says they have a research to prove that both these measures would lead to increased safety for drivers on Florida roads, but there seems to be little dispute about that fact.
So far all but three states require booster seats for children through the age of five. Most cite research which shows that a small child runs a risk of injury or strangulation by the seat belt if they do not meet a minimum height requirement. The seat belt strap must go across the chest, not the neck if you really want to keep your child safe in the back seat.
Florida traffic school takes great care in explain how important a safety belt is and also how important it is that the seat belt be worn the right way. Every driver knows they can’t wrpa their seat belt around their neck and expect to be safe, why would they think that it would be ok for a child?
The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended all states enact a total ban on the use of handheld devices by drivers because an increase the number of vehicle crashes attributed to distracted driving. Their research has shown that distracted driving is the most dangerous form of driving, worse even than driving under the influence. There are currently 35 states which completely ban texting while driving, though Florida is not one of them.
Remember, defensive driving is not an accident. It is a deliberate course of action intended to keep yourself, your passengers and everyone you share the road with, safe.
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