Florida is cracking down on distracted drivers. That’s the message being pumped out to the public in the Sunshine State. In Florida, every 44 seconds there’s a vehicle crash. Of those crashes, one in seven has a distracted driver at fault. Take the case of the Scherer family.
Family’s life turned upside down
September 15, 2016, is a date the family will never forget. Heading north on I-75 in their Mazda, they came to a traffic jam on the freeway. The Scherers stopped. Behind them came Gregory Andriotis—driving his car at almost 80 mph. Andriotis’ car slammed the Scherers’ car, pushing it and five other cars almost 100 feet. Sadly, Logan Scherer was killed. He was just 9 years old. Others in the Scherers’ car were hurt, as were folks in other vehicles in the pileup.
Before the crash, Gregory Andriotis was using his cell phone to text and talk. He didn’t stop talking, evidently. Witnesses and victims saw Andriotis still using his phone after the crash. In Florida’s first texting and driving case to go to court, Andriotis was convicted of one count of vehicular homicide and three counts of reckless driving. On June 15, 2023, Gregory Andriotis was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Not a drive-and-text kind of person?
“Texting,” says the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, “is the most alarming distraction. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.” Not a “drive-and-text” kind of person? Don’t breathe easy yet. Distracted driving, according to a federal standard, is “any activity that causes the driver to divert their attention from driving, such as texting or talking on the phone, eating or drinking, conversing with passengers, or adjusting the car’s entertainment or navigation system.” It’s a big problem. In Florida alone, last year nearly 300 people died at the hands of a distracted driver.
“Anyone operating a vehicle should be free of distractions and be attentive to the roadway, other vehicles, and changes to traffic patterns. While multitasking may seem normal in our daily lives, it is deadly when you are behind the wheel,” reminds Dave Kerner. “Focus on driving safely and arriving safely. Everything else can wait.” Kerner is Florida’s Executive Director of its Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles department.
Can lead to other bad driving behaviors
Officials say that distracted driving often leads to other accident causing “driving behaviors”…
- Exceeding the posted speed limit
- Unsafe or improper lane change
- Following another vehicle too closely
- Violating traffic control and signal devices
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Improper passing
While Florida is cracking down on distracted drivers, it’s not the only state where distracted driving leads to death on the highway. Across the U.S., 3,308 lives were extinguished in 2022 because of distracted drivers. No doubt all of them were loved—just like Logan Scherer.
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Michigan implemented a distracted driving law. It is not just hands free. If pulled over and you are either holding a phone, or the app displayed on the phone requires more than a large-target one-tap response or a glance (e.g., don’t read any messages) – you will be severely ticketed.
You can take a hands-free phone call, have a message read to you, listen to a pod cast or radio station, glance at a GPS map, and very, very little else.
Oh, and you don’t have to be actively moving in traffic. You are just as guilty if you are in a driving lane at a stop light or sign.
There needs to be a nation wide crackdown on all distracted drivers.
Thank you, Russ and Tina! 🙂 It would be nice if people steering vehicles on roadways took the activity far more seriously than they seem to do. I suppose that far too many take the activity for granted, rarely if ever considering how deadly a vehicle piloted at almost any speed can be. Thanks agsin and safe travels! 🙂
In California you are subject to a $162 dollar ticket for even using a cell phone much less texting. If caught a 2nd time within 36 months, it’s an automatic $285 dollar ticket plus a point on your driving record. You must pull over to the shoulder (out of the traffic lane) to call or receive a cell phone call, or let it go to voice mail and listen when you are safe to do so.
Those are simply small slaps on your hands type of consequences. What this country needs is stiffer consequences for even touching a cell phone while driving. Most of the phones today can be used just by your voice. It’s called HANDS FREE!
When I am in traffic, I don’t even let my wife talk to me. Downtown Atlanta, radio off and window down.
I’ll be checking to see about that option in my next car for sure. 😉
Wife optional cars: Just take out the other front seat.
I’m glad this driver was actually held responsible and given a lengthy sentence. Amazing how many drunk drivers kill people and do less than 10 years. It’s ridiculous to see just how many people are on their phones while driving or think that every red light is an opportunity to check out Facebook.
Good. About time. We were nearly killed in Florida a few months ago. Heavy duty contractor truck came flying into an intersection from our left at high speed where everyone else was stopped. Fortunately, my wife screamed, and I was able to swerve just enough so he only hit our front fender instead of coming right in my driver’s side door. I still have flashbacks. Several people, including that driver ended up in the hospital.
Whew! That was too close, Roger! Luckily your wife noticed in time to warn you or it would have been so much worse.😲 Have a great day! 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Tesla, among others, appears to build their electric cars so you have to take your eyes off the road to drive. Too many driving functions have to be controlled via the touch screen in the center of the front dashboard. Talk about distracted driving.
All of those screens in all cars and trucks is stupid. Having to take your eyes off the road to operate the radio is stupid. How was that allowed?
With the technology of today it seems we can do most anything – How about a cell phone free zone within the confines of any motor vehicle? Like a magnetic cage, if the engine is running the phone is dead! I have had so many near misses in the past 10 years because some clown has phone stuck in head…. and usually the left ear besides. (Sad this little boy lost his life – but happy to see 30 years for the offender!)
I would like to add that potholes are a distraction. When a driver has to watch the holes and try to avoid them, that is distracting. I’ve seen people trying to dodge potholes by swerving into oncoming traffic lanes to avoid them. Not good!