7.07 Conclusions in Argument Writing

Driving. It is a big part of our lives and allows us to do all the things that we like to do. However, at the same time, it poses a great safety risk, especially when in the presence of electronic devices. Texting while driving is a form of distraction that can have negative, or even deadly, consequences. A common question asked is if enough is being done to prevent distracted driving. In the state of Florida, the answer to that question is yes. With special laws that punish distracted drivers, statutes that allow law enforcement to pull you over for simply being on an electronic device while driving, and the prohibition of handling electronic devices within school/work zones, there is plenty being done to help combat it. Although it can be said that there are still loopholes in these laws that people can take advantage of, Florida is taking the right step forward to help fight against distracted driving.

It is important that states take action against distracted driving, and Florida does just that. More than 4,500 crashes have been caused as a result of distracted driving, (Carey Leisure & Neal). Within the last few years, numerous statutes/bills have been passed into law to help combat this problem, such as the Wireless Communications While Driving Law, that punish those who become distracted behind the wheel. For instance, you can now get pulled over by law enforcement for just actively being on an electronic device while driving, (“The 2021 Florida Statutes”). If you are in a school/active work zone, you are prohibited from “handling them in a handheld manner”, (FLHSMV). Through these measures, Florida is doing their part to fight against distracted driving, which is critical to ensure the safety of all of those on the road.

A common opposition to this is that these types of laws have too many loopholes, which still allow people to handle the exact same electronic devices they were told they could not use while driving. For example, these laws still “allow other very common actions, such as making phone calls or operating the device as a GPS,” (The Daily Item). Yes, this can be understood. However, it cannot be said that Florida is not doing enough to combat the problem. For the record, the problem will never fully go away. This is a problem that will take a long time to mitigate, however Florida is taking the right step forward.

In order to ensure the safety of all on the road, everyone driving must not be distracted, especially by electronic devices. Texting while driving, a form of distracted driving, can result in serious injury, or even death. The state of Florida is stepping up to ensure that laws/statutes are set in place to help combat this problem. Such ones include allowing people to be issued citations for actively using devices while driving, and the prohibition of using devices entirely when in work/school zones. It is commonly said that these laws have too many loopholes in them which still let people get away with using their devices in these instances, however that does not diminish the fact of what Florida is trying to do. In the end, distracted driving will never go away completely. However, if the message can be sent across to people on how dangerous it really is, then people will begin to take action, and many lives will be saved.