WCTV-Television reports that Florida Representative Irving Slosberg (D- Boca Raton) has filed the Mature Drivers Act, HB 515. Slosberg says that 16-year-olds can easily be distracted by texting and cell phones while driving and the bill proposes raising the age one year to obtain a driver’s license in the state. If it passes, the law could go into effect in July of next year.
Rep. Slosberg points to New Jersey, where the state raised the driving age to 17, while nearby Connecticut left the driver’s license age at 16. New Jersey had 4 deaths per 100,000 drivers, he said, while there were 16 teen deaths in Connecticut per 100,000 drivers. Under the proposed Florida bill, young drivers will be able to get their permit at age 16. Slosberg’s daughter, Dori, died from injuries she sustained in a 1996 car accident.
According to 2009 crash statistics for the U.S., there were 242 drivers involved in fatal crashes per 10,000 licensed drivers in the 15-19 year age group, while the highest age bracket for fatalities was the 20-24 age bracket at 445 fatalities per 10,000 licensed drivers. As many arguments as people have against older drivers, the lowest rate of accidents was among 75-79-year-olds (66 per 10,000 licensed drivers).
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there were 80 teens killed in car crashes in the state in 2009, down from 109 the previous year. Also there were 73 teen passengers killed in 2009, (84 in 2008) and 10,639 teen drivers injured, compared to 11,734 the previous year. In 2009, there were 29,485 crashes involving teens, down from 32,012 in 2008.
If you or your teen driver have been involved in a car accident, let Farah & Farah’s experienced Florida car crash lawyers help you through the sometimes complicated process to make sure you obtain the compensation you deserve.
