DEATH BY DISTRACTION: 214 People Died In 2015 From Distracted Driving Crashes In Florida

More than 39,000 people were injured in Florida wrecks last year caused by distracted driving, including 214 who died.

According to AdCouncil.org, more than nine in 10 Americans believe sending and reading texts while driving is dangerous.  There have been many efforts to educate and convey the potential consequences of texting and driving using scare tactics or preachy messaging. And, while research shows that people are convinced that the behavior is dangerous, they are still doing it.

Data recently released by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reveal 45,740 accidents in 2015 were caused by distracted driving, resulting in 39,396 injuries. To curb such statistics, the state Legislature passed the “Florida Ban on Texting While Driving Law” in 2015.

Miami-Dade ranked second in Florida for distracted driving crashes with 4,445 and topped the state with 16 fatalities in those accidents. Orange County topped the state in crashes (5,506) and injuries (5,040). Thirteen deaths in Orange were the result of distracted driving.

Hillsborough County (3,896) and Broward County (3,762) were third and fourth, respectively, in the number of wrecks from distracted driving. Here are the statistics for counties with ROIG Lawyers offices:

County                 Crashes          Injuries            Deaths

Hillsborough       3,896                  3,496                   11

Broward               3,762                  2,967                   8

Palm Beach          2,194                  1,656                   7

Leon                      791                      600                      0

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