Florida is known as the Sunshine State for good reason: The state gets more sunshine than just about anywhere else in the nation. Most days, even those with a little rain in the morning, turn out to be dry and clear. Although Florida is surrounded on three sides by water the state is prone to extended dry periods; drought is common and wildfires sweep across the state every year.

These wildfires often grow in areas which are nearly inaccessible to firefighters because of the density of the undergrowth. Many times firefighters allow the fires to burn themselves out, rather than trying to fight them. This creates a hazard not only for anyone who lives in the area but also for the abundance of drivers on the highways which crisscross the state. These fires produce an abundance of smoke which can quickly reduce visibility to near zero. The Florida Highway Patrol does its best to monitor the situations and often closes highways which are affected by this smoke, but drivers would do well to use their best judgement, even if the road is open.

This past weekend a stretch of Interstate 75 in northern Florida was afflicted by dense smoke from a nearby fire. Traffic had been stopped due to the poor visibility but some drivers failed to notice the stopped cars and a chain reaction collision occurred. In all, nine people were killed and more than a dozen were severely injured in the crashes which reduced some vehicles to mangled wrecks, compressed between traffic trailers and other vehicles.

Florida Highway Patrol officers are still trying to determine exactly what caused the collisions, though the severely limited visibility seemed to be at least indirectly responsible, forcing the patrol to issue new warnings to all drivers in the state to be on the lookout for wildfires and drive with caution any time visibility is limited.

This week AAA announced it was asking members to push the 2012 Florida legislature to adopt stricter laws against texting and driving. They are also seeking a new law which would put children who ride in cars into a booster seat until they pass the age of five. AAA says they have a research to prove that both these measures would lead to increased safety for drivers on Florida roads, but there seems to be little dispute about that fact.

So far all but three states require booster seats for children through the age of five. Most cite research which shows that a small child runs a risk of injury or strangulation by the seat belt if they do not meet a minimum height requirement. The seat belt strap must go across the chest, not the neck if you really want to keep your child safe in the back seat.

Florida traffic school takes great care in explain how important a safety belt is and also how important it is that the seat belt be worn the right way. Every driver knows they can’t wrpa their seat belt around their neck and expect to be safe, why would they think that it would be ok for a child?

The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended all states enact a total ban on the use of handheld devices by drivers because an increase the number of vehicle crashes attributed to distracted driving. Their research has shown that distracted driving is the most dangerous form of driving, worse even than driving under the influence. There are currently 35 states which completely ban texting while driving, though Florida is not one of them.

Remember, defensive driving is not an accident. It is a deliberate course of action intended to keep yourself, your passengers and everyone you share the road with, safe.

Image: Bill Longshaw / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Despite having just passed a new ban on texting and driving, some Florida legislators say they are adamantly opposed to any further driving restrictions for fear of over-burdening drivers.

Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, said he was against anything which would further restrict personal freedoms:

“We have to be careful,” he said. “In the good intention name of trying to keep people from getting hurt, it is easy to overly constrain individual freedoms that have differentiated our country.”

This is odd, especially when you consider that texting and driving, or any type of distracted driving has been repeatedly proven to be a leading cause of traffic crashes, especially those involving fatalities.

Anyone who has successfully completed an online defensive driving course, or attended and completed traffic school either to keep points from accumulating on their license or to keep their insurance premiums low (or both), knows the dangers of distracted driving.

You simply cannot expect to be able to pay attention to two things at once, especially when one of those things is controlling the 4,000 pound missile you are controlling at speeds of 55 miles-per-hour or more. One mis-guess; one glance away from the road ahead of you to the small digital screen that holds the wonderful message of “C U L8tr!” is all it takes for you to slam head-on into the rear of the vehicle that suddenly slowed down in front of you.

In Florida they suffer from an abundance of beautiful clear days, full of sunshine. It can be deceptively calm, leading some drivers to relax and stop worrying about where they are going or how they are going to get there.

Defensive driving, however, means never taking your eyes off the road until you get where you are going. Safely.

Floridians, consider yourselves warned: Someone is using a scam website to trick people into paying to visit the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles web site.

It seems someone has paid a fee to search engines so that when someone searches for information on the DHSMV website, the scam website is at the top of the list. When the searcher clicks on the scam site it asks them for personal information; name, contact information and a credit card number. Then the site charges their credit card before connecting them with the FREE DHSMV website.

That’s right: The scammers are charging people to access a free web site.

The Florida Highway Patrol released a statement this week which advised anyone trying to visit the DWSMV web site not to fall for the phishing scam.

“To say the websites are misleading is an understatement,” said DHSMV Executive Director Julie Jones. “They provide small disclaimers that state they are not affiliated with the Department and then proceed to charge customers anywhere from $25 to $50. It is an unbelievable racket.”

The scam websites to have a small disclaimer on their site which advises visitors they are not affiliated with the DHSMV, the Florida state government, nor any governmental agency of any kind, so the sites are not actually breaking the law. But even with the disclaimer it seems likely at least some innocent web surfers are going to fall for their ruse and fork over their hard earned cash to visit an otherwise free web site. It might be technically legal but it sure sounds like a scam to us.

“The Department wants to arm our customers with information about these illusive websites so they are not duped into paying unnecessary fees of any kind,” Jones added. “The websites are legal, but unethical.”

It is always free to visit the My Improv Traffic School website  so you can learn more about our online defensive driving course. You have to pay for the course, but visiting the web site is always free.

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Florida Highway Patrol wants you to enjoy yourself this holiday season, but warn drivers they won’t be handing out gifts to anyone who gets behind the wheel after drinking.

Florida has one of the toughest policies in the nation when it comes to dealing with anyone who drinks and drives. You could say they have zero tolerance for drunk drivers, but then again, so does every police officer in the nation. And so does anyone who is defensive driving.

In fact, this year there is a nationwide effort to keep drunk drivers off the street called Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

According to a recent study of traffic statistics by the Florida Department of Highway Safety from 2010, more than 35 percent of the traffic deaths which occurred on Florida highways during the holidays last year were alcohol-related. This has prompted a major crackdown on drunk driving in the Sunshine state.

Everyone wants to enjoy the Christmas and New Year holiday festivities, but not everyone is going to be able to drive home when they are done having fun. You don’t even need to be drunk to get in trouble with the law or drive in an unsafe manner. Florida law says that a blood alcohol content of .08 percent is enough for you to be cited. That’s just three drinks for someone weighing 140 pounds or less. Three beers, three glasses of wine, three shots–it’s all the same when it comes to your BAC. And don’t bother trying to hide it with a breath mint, a couple pieces of chewing gum or even a penny. That’s not going to work when it comes to a breathalyzer test.

Anyone who has successfully completed a defensive driving course understands just how dangerous it is to get behind the wheel drunk, or even slightly inebriated. Distracted driving is dangerous and you’re definitely distracted if you’ve had a few drinks before trying to drive home.

It’s a simple thing to have a happy holiday and get home safe. It starts by not drinking and driving.

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Up until now Florida has lagged behind other states when it comes to fighting against distracted driving. They have so far been reluctant to even make texting and driving a crime, much less more general distracted driving offenses.

Defensive driving is an important skill to have, especially if you’re on vacation.

Last week, when the National Transportation Safety Board released its findings about distracted driving and called for a nationwide ban on any and all cell-phone or handheld device use while driving, Florida legislators groaned. The Florida Senate just approved a bill banning texting and driving, but they have done little else to fight distracted driving.

This is not good news for the Sunshine State, which sees tens of millions of visitors every year, many of who travel there by car. Florida is also one of the most popular states with a population which continues to grow by leaps and bounds, even during the recent recession. Distracted driving is no less of a problem in Florida than it is any where else, but forcing people to put down their handheld devices to concentrate on driving, in a state where public transportation is practically non-existent, is like asking everyone to take a pay cut, or at least a productivity cut.

More than one-quarter of all adults have admitted to texting and driving. Certainly none of these people completed the Florida Online Traffic School or they would understand just haw dangerous distracted driving is and would never do it. Distracted driving is the most dangerous type of driving, second only to driving with a blindfold on.

Now that the NTSB has weighed in on the scourge of distracted driving, and suggested that all states ban any sort of handheld device from a driver’s hands, it seems likely Florida will finally come around to the idea that keeping people safe on their roadways will be good for them and keep them at the top of the list for favorite vacation destinations.

Image: mikumistock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Florida is known as the land of sun and surf. Thanks to efforts by the state to make the roads a safer place it is now known as the state with the most significant drop in traffic fatalities this past year (down 115) after California (down 375.)

Unfortunately, though traffic fatalities as a whole were down in 2010, the number of pedestrians hit by cars has markedly risen. The number of pedestrians injured by a motor vehicle rose nearly 20 percent, and the number killed after being struck rose five percent.

This improvement has come only after a concerted effort by lawmakers and law enforcement officers to force people to pay closer attention when they get behind the wheel of their automobile. Defensive driving is on the rise in the Sunshine State because the penalties for not doing so (besides dying in a horrible car crash) are enormous.

Even during the recession, Florida remained the top travel destination in the world, hosting more than 70 million visitors a year, many of which traveled there by car, either for a week or a weekend getaway. This means the roads are often congested, especially in urban areas like Miami and Orlando, and drivers are often confused about where they are and where they going.

A traffic school course is not simply a good idea in Florida, i might just save your life.

Defensive driving is one of those skills you have and hope you never have to rely upon to make it home alive. You get behind the wheel of your car and cruise to your destination confident you know and follow all the rules of the road, therefore increasing the chances of avoiding a crash. It is your best defense against all those other drivers who are texting, talking, fiddling with the radio, driving at excessive speed and generally not paying attention when they get behind the wheel.

Don’t Blink In The Sunshine State

This week the National Transportation Safety Board called for a nationwide ban on the use of any handheld electronic devices by drivers on any of the country’s roadways. Distracted driving, they say, is the most dangerous threat facing drivers today. It’s worse than driving under the influence because it is so common. Despite a multitude of public service ads meant to enlighten them to its dangers, many people think nothing of getting behind the wheel of a car with their cell phone in their hand.

Florida has some of the most lax laws against distracted driving in the nation. In fact, they don’t have any laws pertaining to the use of cells phones or text messaging devices by drivers, which practically declares open season on defensive drivers, already on alert against distracted drivers.

Defensive driving experts understand the importance of focusing their attention where it belongs: On the road ahead, and NOT on their cell phone.

Whoever is calling you will call you back. Whatever your girlfriend just texted you can wait until you get someplace to read it. There is no message worth your life, the lives of the passengers in your car or the life of the driver you crash into because you aren’t paying attention.

Anyone who has finished a defensive driving course walked away with a new appreciation for just how dangerous distracted driving is. They saw the numbers, did the math, heard the stories and learned the lessons of paying strict attention to the road ahead of them and the situation around them, instead of worrying about some fifteen second phone call that was probably the wrong number or at least could have waited until they got home.

Traffic school can help make you a safe, defensive driver, and keep points from accumulating on your license, but it won’t protect you from distracted drivers

Let’s say it’s the boss on the phone. He’s calling you and calling you because he needs to know where that report is you were supposed to finish before you left work. If you die in a crash while you’re on the phone with him just think how guilty he’ll feel. Especially since you left that report on his desk just as he asked.

Before you set out on a road trip to Florida pack your sunscreen and pay close attention to the driver heading right for you. You might see him, but he might be so busy texting his mommy that he won’t see you until it’s too late.

Image: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Best Way To Avoid A Ticket: Drive Safely

Safe drivers are usually not the first to complain about the many new traffic control devices being installed on America’s roadways. From traffic light cameras which snap license plate pictures of driver’s who run red lights to speed cameras designed to catch speeders without the need for a police officer to sit by the side of the road all day, these automatically ticketing devices are becoming more and more common.

Just ask the folks of Palm Coast, Florida, who contend with red-light cameras at 10 intersections around the city.

Despite complaints from those who say the new technology is infringing on their civil rights and rights to privacy, courts around the country are overwhelmingly supporting them. Even when state law does not specifically allow them local ordinances are good enough; city officials who want a traffic camera at a local intersection have only to vote it in and it’s done. Police love them because it helps them monitor an area without spending manpower to do it. Drivers hate them for obvious reasons.

There is no worse feeling (ok, there ARE probably worse feelings but for our purposes here they don’t count) than getting a citation in the mail with a photo of your license plate running a red light or speeding through a school zone.

You know who are NOT complaining about the increase in automatic traffic control devices? Defensive driving experts. Anyone who has ever attended a defensive driving course knows just how important it is to maintain a safe speed, follow all traffic laws and be good, defensive drivers. There is no substitute for being a safe driver. Cars don’t drive themselves, so we are responsible for our own actions every time we get behind the wheel. If a red-light camera catches you running a signal don’t blame the technology. If you want to know who is really at fault, take a good hard look in the mirror.

Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Florida Legislature is taking aim at drivers who allow themselves to be distracted by texting, cell phones or even ubiquitous GPS devices. Senate Bill 416 is specifically worded so that whatever device you use, no matter its function, if it is distracting you from the act of driving, it is prohibited. The wording of the bill addresses anyone who is “manually typing or entering multiple letters, numbers, symbols or other text in a wireless communication device.”

That pretty much covers everything.

If Senate Bill 416 passes, which seems all but assured, Florida will become the 36th state to ban texting and distracted driving. The penalties could be as much as a $30 fine and a minimum of 3 points on your license. If your distracted driving leads to an accident the penalties are even higher-up to 6 points added on your license.

Defensive driving experts know the importance of maintaining their focus where it belongs: on the road ahead and not on a digital device, chatting with your significant other; checking e-mail or the latest sports scores. There really is no excuse for distracted driving. As defensive drivers know, taking your eyes off the road even for a second is all you need for a crash to happen.

A defensive driving course can help you keep the points from adding up on your license. It can also help you understand just how dangerous it is to do anything behind the wheel–including lighting a cigarette, fiddling with the radio or even opening a candy bar. But not even traffic school can restore lives lost due to distracted driving.

More crashes are caused by drivers lack of attention than anything else. Anything that can wake drivers up to this fact is bound to have a positive impact on making the roadways safer for everyone.