DATE: March 11, 2015
CONTACT: Kimberly Maroe, Public Information Manager
Broward County Commission
PHONE: 954-357-8053
EMAIL: kmaroe@broward.org
BROWARD COUNTY, FL - This week has been officially proclaimed "Broward County Road Safety and Safe Teen Driving Awareness Week" in Broward County. Commissioners Chip LaMarca and Lois Wexler presented a proclamation to the Broward Regional EMS Council on Tuesday, carrying forward the "Take 5 to Stay Alive - Don't Text and Drive" promotional campaign. The goal is to remind people, in particular teenagers, that texting and driving can be deadly.
"One of the statistics that we learned when we began this campaign is that sending a text message while driving is like driving blindfolded for the length of a football field at fifty-five miles an hour. Think about how much can happen in that amount of time," said Commissioner LaMarca who is a member of the Broward Regional EMS Council that created the "Take 5 to Stay Alive-Don't Text and Drive" campaign.
According to the most recent numbers provided by the Florida Department of Transportation, Broward County ranks eighth among counties of similar size for total fatalities and injuries. Statistics from the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles indicates that approximately 15 people a month, one every two days, are killed and four people every hour are injured in car crashes in Broward County.
In 2014, 195 citations were issued in Broward County for texting while driving.
In Florida texting while driving is considered a secondary offense, meaning the driver was pulled over for another reason (speeding, seat belt violation, etc.) and subsequently ticketed for texting.
"For a number of years we worked on the public safety committee in order to implore our legislators to make it a crime to text and drive, and we're halfway there as a second offense. We are hopeful that at some point in time the recognition will be made that texting and driving is a primary offense and the cause of way too many fatalities and injuries in our community and throughout the world,' said Commissioner Lois Wexler.
"On behalf of the Emergency Medical Services Council, I want to thank each and every one of these individuals plus hundreds in the community who have been working on this. We have truly brought people from all sectors of Broward County together to solve a major issue, and we thank the County Commission for its support," said Ralph Marrinson who serves as Chair of the Regional EMS Council.
The Broward Regional EMS Council along with the Dori Slosberg Foundation "Dori Saves Lives" campaign, Darrell Gwynn Foundation, Broward Schools Drivers Education Program, Florida Department of Health, Florida Highway Patrol, Broward's Medical Examiner and Trauma Services and Broward County's EMS, fire and trauma hospitals were recognized for their collaborative efforts to promote driver and passenger safety.
|