By: Allison Lane

The Transportation Department banned commercial drivers of interstate buses and trucks over 10,000 pounds, from text messaging while operating commercial vehicles.  President Obama signed an executive order prohibiting all Federal employees driving government owned vehicles or with government owned equipment, from texting and driving. 

Studies have shown that drivers who text and drive are six times more likely to get into an accident.  Research shows that a driver’s reaction time is decreased by thirty percent when the driver is texting and driving, versus a nine percent decrease when the driver is talking on the phone and driving.  The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s research shows that a driver who is texting and driving takes his or her eyes off of the road an average of 4.6 seconds out of every 6 seconds while texting.  This correlates to driving, without looking at the road, for the length of a football field, including end zones, at a speed of 55 miles per hour. 

This prohibition is effective immediately and will result in harsh penalties including civil or criminal penalties up to $2,750.00.  Prior to this prohibition, the District of Columbia and nineteen states ban all drivers from texting and driving, and ten other states restrict novice drivers from texting and driving.

The number of accidents that have been caused by texting and driving is unknown, because the police have not been required to keep track of it.  However, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 80 percent of accidents are caused by driver inattention.  This inattention is continuing to increase with the use of cell phones and texting while driving.  A survey revealed that 60% of teenage drivers, text and drive.  The Transportation Department is concerned that it will be a difficult law to enforce, however, they have joined with safety advocates to create FocusDriven.  This organization will be similar to Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, to lobby against cell phone use and texting while driving.

Do not text and drive.

By: Allison Lane

Did you know. . . Florida is Number 5 in the Country for the Most Uninsured Drivers?

What does that mean to you?  If you are in a car accident that is caused by an uninsured driver, and you do not have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage on your automobile policy, you essentially have no protection.  By only carrying liability coverage on your automobile insurance policy, you are protecting someone else that you may injure in an accident, but you are not protecting yourself or the passengers in your car, from the negligence of an uninsured driver or a hit and run.

Recent studies show that 23% of drivers in the State of Florida are uninsured.  This drastically high statistic is expected to increase in 2010. The studies show a strong correlation between uninsured drivers and unemployment.

In Florida, drivers are required to carry personal injury protection in the amount of $10,000.00, to pay for medical bills caused by the accident, 60% of lost wages and 60% household expenses.  Florida also requires its drivers to carry property damage in the amount of $10,000.00, to pay for property damage to another driver’s vehicle, but not the driver’s own vehicle. Florida law does not require Florida motorists to carry liability insurance or uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.

If you find yourself in an unfortunate economic situation, do not cancel your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.  The only way to protect yourself against uninsured drivers in Florida is to obtain Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage.  Please contact Balkan & Patterson, LLP, or your insurance agent to confirm that your automobile insurance coverage is sufficient to protect you and your family, before it is too late.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration it is.  A new report shows that nationally, seatbelt usage has hit a record high of 84%, a gain from 83% in 2008.  Slowly but surely, are people understanding the importance of wearing seatbelts and how this could protect from death and serious injury?  We hope so…and let the trend continue.

On Saturday, November 7th, a 15-year-old Palm Beach County boy died in a car crash.  The Sheriff’s investigators reported that the boy was not wearing a seat belt and was driving with a learners permit when the crash occurred at about 12:15 a.m.  The 16-year-old passenger in the vehicle was wearing a seatbelt, and sustained only minor injuries.

Seatbelt safety is of the utmost of importance.  Why are teens today still not understanding the vitality of seatbelt related deaths?  We believe strongly in educating our young people today, and showing them the importance and responsibility of driving a car.  You get in the car and you buckle up. Plain and simple.

The personal injury and auto accident law firm of Balkan & Patterson stresses the importance of proper young driver education in order to protect our young teens and our communities from other tragedies like this. For more information about Balkan & Patterson or to find resources for safe driving practices, please visit our website at www.balkanpatterson.com.

A local West Broward High student, age 17, died Thursday after her car hit a tree in Southwest Ranches around 7:30 am on Thursday morning. She lost control of her vehicle, crossed into the opposite lane and hit a tree. Sheriff’s Fire-Rescue personnel took the teen to Memorial Regional Hospital’s trauma unit in Hollywood, where she died shortly after. To view the full story, please click here.

This tragic accident highlights the need for teen driving safety and education. Accidents can happen so easily and in just the blink of an eye. Auto accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers, and all too often, these accidents could have been prevented.

The personal injury and auto accident law firm of Balkan & Patterson stresses the importance of proper young driver education in order to protect our young teens and our communities from other tragedies like this. For more information about Balkan & Patterson or to find resources for safe driving practices, please visit our website at www.balkanpatterson.com.

A woman was killed in Coral Springs this morning on the Sawgrass Expressway after her car had a flat tire. She was walking to get help when she was struck by two cars. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, she was walking in the traffic lanes when she was hit.To view the complete story, please click here.

This accident reinforces the need for drivers to ensure their vehicles are in good working condition to prevent and be prepared for incidents such as this. By having the appropriate spare parts, it would be possible to fix the tire without having to leave the vehicle and seek assistance. Additionally, services like AAA can assist drivers is the event of an emergency. If you do have an emergency and have to leave your vehicle, use extreme caution, especially when walking in a high-speed traffic area like an expressway or highway.

The law firm of Balkan & Patterson LLP works with personal injury, auto accident, premises liability and wrongful death clients in Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and all of Broward County, including Parkland, Lighthouse Point and Coral Springs. If you or a loved one has been injured due to the negligence of another, please contact us for a free consultation at www.balkanpatterson.com.

A new British public service announcement is gaining international media attention because of its graphic nature: however, it is also drawing attention to the fact that texting while driving is extraordinarily dangerous and puts many lives at risk when drivers turn their attention from the road to their cellphones.

The PSA shows three teenage girls driving down the road, giggling and having a great time. As one girl is shown texting while driving, she veers into the other lane and causes a major accident. She looks over at her friend, dazed, only to see a third car approaching the accident and violently crashing into them. The result is a realistic video with plenty of blood, smashing cars, breaking bones, death andthe reality of the danger that is texting while driving.

You can view the video here on YouTube. Before watching, be warned: this video is graphic and visually disturbing.

The law firm of Balkan & Patterson serves all types of personal injury, product liability and auto accident clients through Palm Beach and Broward counties, including Boca Raton, Lighthouse Point, Deerfield Beach, Delray Beach and Parkland. For more information, please call us at (561) 750-9191 or visit our website at www.balkanpatterson.com.

Parkland is taking the next steps necessary to create and enforce a city ordinance to ban text messaging while driving. The city commissioner Jared Moskowitz instructed the Parkland city attorney to draft an ordinance for the ban.

The issue could be brought before the city as soon as Sept. 14 - less than a month away. Parkland would be the first city within Broward County to outlaw texting while driving. Drivers are extremely distracted by texting while driving, and it greatly increases the chance of an accident.

Numerous studies have been published on the subject, with one even going so far as to say that texting while driving is more dangerous than drinking and driving. Regardless of which is worse, texting while driving puts all of us at risk, and it is an easy step to take in keeping ourselves and our families safe.

Balkan & Patterson is an auto accident and personal injury law firm in Boca Raton, with offices in Hollywood in Broward County. We serve personal injury and auto accident clients throughout South Florida, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Parkland, Lighthouse Point and more. For more information, visit us online at www.balkanpatterson.com.

ommissioner Jared Moskowitz late tonight instructed the city attorney to draft an ordinance for the ban. The issue could be debated as soon as Sept. 14.

There are 17 states that ban texting while driving, including California, Maryland, New Jersey and Illinois. Efforts in the Florida Legislature have failed during the past two years but supporters said it will be introduced again in the next session.

“This seems like a no-brainer,” Moskowitz said after the meeting. “We are a young city; we have a lot of kids.”

Officials in Parkland, Florida, are weighing the options of making texting while driving illegal because of safety concerns. Texting while driving greatly increases the risk of an accident because a driver’s attention is significantly reduced - it is estimated that those drivers are 23 times as likely to be involved in an accident.

Seventeen states have already banned texting while driving. According to Parkland officials, the fines will not be determined until later, but could mimic similar legislation around the country. In California, for example, the fine for the first offense is $20. To view the complete story, please click here.

Florida’s new seat belt laws go into effect today. As of today, June 30, law enforcement officers can make a traffic stop on any vehicle in which they observe a seat belt law violation. The current fine for a seat belt violation is $98 and the fine for a child restraint violation is $148.

Previously, police officers were only allowed to stop drivers if there was another driving offense, such as an expired license or speeding.For more information on the new legislation, please click here to view the full story.

Our Florida trial attorneys represent personal injury, auto accident, defective products, and consumer fraud clients throughout South Florida, including Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Lighthouse Point, Parkland, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, and throughout the United States.