PCI Statement in Support of DHSMV Legislation

Tallahassee, Fla. – The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) today issued the following statement attributed to its regional manager Logan McFaddin in support of House Bill 545, by Representative Bobby Payne (R-Palatka), relating to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV). 

“HB 545 contains key provisions to address distracted driving on Florida’s roads, one of the key contributing factors to the dramatic rise in auto accidents today. The National Safety Council last week announced that 2016 may have been the deadliest year on our roads since 2007. When combined with the accident frequency since 2014, it has been the worst two-year escalation since 1964.

“According to the Florida Department of Transportation, distracted driving-related crashes have increased by 25 percent since 2012.  Recent data from TrueMotion found that 71 percent of drivers today send text messages and email when driving. That means almost three out of four drivers are distracted on our roads.

“With these types of statistics, it is imperative that we work to strengthen Florida laws to decrease distractions, as a first step toward protecting everyone on the road.

“We applaud Representative Payne and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee for passing this important bill out of committee and we look forward to more legislation that strengthens distracted driving laws in the state of Florida.”