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Young Driver Distracted By Phone Pins Tree Trimmer

By Eddie Farah

The 17-year-old girl was driving in the Ortega area. She tells law enforcement that she was distracted by her phone. 'Just glancing at it,' is how the reporter from Channel 4 describes it.

Teens are notorious for texting, talking on the phone and generally being distracted by anything on the console, and they do not have the experience or reaction time that a more experienced driver might.

This unidentified teen first hit a trailer filled with wood and then hit a44-year-old man who was a member of a tree trimming crew, pinning him against a wood chipper.

His legs are badly damaged and he is hospitalized in critical condition with life-threatening injuries.

It is very likely that charges will be filed in this case.

Last month, a bill was introduced in the Florida legislature that bans texting while driving.
In fact, it bans reading, manually writing or typing or sending messages on cell phones.

Using a cell phone in any form is one of the most significant distractions that affect driving performance says the National Safety Commission.

Citing a Harvard study that found that text messaging while driving causes a 400 percent increase in time spent not concentrating on the road, the American Medical Association recently labeled text messaging while driving "a public health risk."

It's time Florida got onboard with five other states that ban the use of cell phone while behind the wheel. They are California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Washington State. 17 states and the District of Columbia ban cell phone use by young or 'novice' drivers.

Using a cell phone is a great way to communicate – just not while you're driving, and we don't need any more injuries to make that fact more clear. #

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Full post as published by Jacksonville Personal Injury Lawyer on March 12, 2009 (boomark / email).