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Florida, one of only 15 states that doesn't ban texting while driving, is in the slow lane on motorist safety.
The state gained some ground last week when the Senate Transportation Committee voted 10-0 in favor of a bill — filed by Sen. Nancy Detert of Sarasota County — that seeks to ban texting by drivers.
But Florida's poky pursuit of traffic-safety measures fell further behind this week when the National Transportation Safety Board recommended that states ban the use of all "portable electronic devices" — those used for texting, web-surfing, instant messaging and telephone conversations.
The NTSB's call for a comprehensive prohibition on drivers' use of communication devices — including hands-free phones — will strike many motorists as excessive. After all, it's common to see drivers with one hand on the wheel and the other holding a phone. According to a survey last year by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 69 percent of respondents reported talking on their cellphones will driving (during the preceding 30 days), and 24 percent said they had texted or emailed while driving.
The national board cannot require states to adopt its recommendation, but the proposal to ban all non-emergency uses of these devices by drivers provides the basis for a nationwide assessment of state traffic laws — and individual behavior.
For the full article, visit the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
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