Texting While Driving More Expensive Than You Think!

Texting while driving is one of the most important safety issues currently facing regulators, traffic safety experts, and drivers themselves. Drivers who have their heads down, staring at the display of their phone while mentally composing a message and typing on a tiny keyboard, simply can't devote adequate attention to the safe operation of their vehicles.

States are starting to catch on; in most of America, it's illegal to text and drive. Presently, 39 states and the District of Columbia have laws on the books that forbid the practice. More importantly, the U.S. Department of Transportation is working with states to develop and train police officers on better methods for spotting drivers who are texting.

How will all of this affect the wallet of a driver who gets nabbed for texting behind the wheel? A recent article in The Christian Science Monitor points out that a citation for texting while driving is often far more expensive than people think. And the ticket is just the beginning, as a texting violation on a driver's record can lead to insurance premium increases.

Meanwhile, another piece from KSL5 in Utah suggests that bans on texting while driving might actually increase accidents. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that 3 of every 4 states that have enacted a ban on texting while driving have seen crashes actually go up rather than down. It's speculated that this is because drivers who are texting are holding their devices lower in an attempt to avoid detection.

In the end, the best bit of advice is to simply put down the phone when your driving!

New Florida Laws for 2012

The latest legislative session produced changes to a number of driving-related laws. The good news is that the vast majority of these changes were administrative edits and will minimally impact how driver education and driver improvement courses are presented to the public.

Nonetheless, revised insert sheets are available for the booklet and video/DVD version of Traffic Safety Consultants' 4-Hour Basic Driver Improvement (BDI) Course. Please include a copy of the appropriate insert sheet with each product that you ship. Note that the insert sheets are cumulative; if you've previously been shipping insert sheets, you may replace your old stock with this new version.

Please click on the links below to access the files you need. You may read/print them online or download them to you local computer for easier access whenever you need them.

• 4-Hour Booklet insert - English
• 4-Hour Booklet insert - Spanish
• 4-Hour Video/DVD insert

Make sure that you ship the latest home study inserts, as you will be responsible for teaching this new material to students!

With seasonal temperatures nearing their peak, now is also a good time to emphasize one of the legislative changes. The law regarding parents who leave young children unattended in the vehicle has been modified as follows:

A parent, legal guardian, or other person responsible for a child younger than 6 years of age may not leave that child unattended or unsupervised in a motor vehicle for a period in excess of 15 minutes, or for any period of time if the motor of the vehicle is running or if the health of the child is in danger or the child appears to be in distress. (FSS §316.6135; emphasized text added)

Children (or pets, for that matter!) should never be left in a vehicle on a hot day—whether accidentally, or consciously and negligently while their parents run errands. While anyone can experience a memory lapse and forget a child (it's the most common reason children are left behind), that little slip could be deadly. Vehicles heat up quickly on a hot day, and a child might die of hyperthermia in just minutes!

Share with your students these helpful tips for avoiding a hot-vehicle mishap:

• Place your cell phone, purse/briefcase, etc., on the floor of the vehicle's rear seating area. When you retrieve them at the end of your trip, you'll notice your child as well.
• Seat the younger (or quieter) child behind the front passenger seat, where he or she is most likely to catch your eye.
• Keep a teddy bear or other stuffed animal in the car seat when it's empty. When you put your child in the seat, move the toy to the front passenger seat as a reminder.
• Make a habit of always opening the back door of your vehicle after you park to make sure there's no child back there.
• Ask your child's babysitter or day care provider to always phone you promptly if your child isn't dropped off as scheduled.