U.S. transportation secretary to Florida lawmakers: Pass a distracted drivers bill

LaHood said with or without legislation and enforcement, there are a number of things that citizens can do to end this behavior, which results in thousands of annual car crashes and fatalities.

The transportation secretary said his office has crafted its own "model legislation" bill prohibiting using a cellphone in the car, and state lawmakers can use that as a start in writing their own laws. He said it's important for people to know who their state representatives are, and then contact them, advocating that they pass such legislation.

Two years ago, CL wrote about the fact that Florida was one of the outlier states with no types of restrictions for motorists and cellphones, putting them in the minority. More states have passed some sort of legislation since then, but not the Sunshine State.

LaHood said with the recently passed transportation bill, there is money available for local governments that pass distracted driver legislation. He cited Syracuse, New York, and Hartford, Connecticut, as receiving funding that those municipalities then matched to pay police officers to enforce such laws.

He also said that personal responsibility would go a long way in alleviating the problem.

"Put them away, turn them off when you're driving, and don't be calling people when you know that they're behind the wheel of a car," he admonished the crowd. "We're hooked on these," he said, pulling out his own smartphone. "We need to get unhooked."

LaHood said that more than 3,000 people have been killed and more than 400,000 injured by people distracted by cellphones.

Before LaHood spoke, a panel of three parents who lost their teenage children because of drivers distracted by cell phone use told heartbreaking stories about how their lives have been irrevocably damaged.

Other panels focused on the science and research behind distracted driving, corporate cell phone policies, enforcing such laws, and educating teens and parents on the perils of driving while texting or speaking on a phone.