If you’re a Florida resident, you’ve probably heard of Florida’s recent wireless communication device law. Law enforcement officers may now stop motor vehicles and issue citations to people who are driving while using a wireless communication device in a handheld manner in a designated school crossing, school zone, or work zone while construction personnel are present or are operating equipment on the road or immediately adjacent to the work zone area. Safe2Drive’s new Florida Wireless Communications Device Driving Safety Program course was designed with this law in mind. We’ve answered a few questions you may have about the program below.
Anyone who violates this law in Florida will have 3 points assessed to their driver license. For a first offense, instead of the driver being assessed 3 points, they may choose to participate in a Wireless Communications Device Driving Safety Program. Once completed, the penalty, points and associated costs may be waived by the clerk of the court. You may also complete a Wireless Communication Device Driving Safety Program course to satisfy a court order.
3. What is distracted driving?
Distracted driving is an act of driving while engaging in other activities that take the driver’s attention away from the road. In general, there are three types of distractions:
- Manual Distractions. A manual distraction is anything that takes one or both of your hands off the steering wheel (e.g., texting, reaching for the pen you dropped on the floor, and smoking or vaping).
- Visual Distractions. Visual distractions are distractions that take your eyes off the road for any period of time (e.g., reading a text message, looking over at your passengers, looking at the view out the window, and checking the time).
- Cognitive Distractions. Cognitive distractions take your mind off driving (e.g., talking to passengers, daydreaming, thinking about work, and reading something on your phone).
Texting is especially dangerous, because it is a manual, visual, and cognitive distraction. This list is just an overview. Anything that takes your attention away from the road is a distraction. According to NHTSA, distracted driving killed 2,841 people in 2018. That’s 1,730 drivers, 605 passengers, 400 pedestrians, and 77 bicyclists whose deaths could have been avoided.
3. How does the program work?
Our Florida Wireless Communications Device Driving Safety Program is approved by the Florida HSMV. You can take the course completely online. All you need is an internet connection! Once you complete the course, you we will submit your completion to the Florida HSMV for you for free, and you’ll be able to print a copy of your Certificate of Completion and submit it to your court. We’ve made the process quick and convenient for you!
Our course includes the most recent laws and statistics available. We’ve also included informational videos, pictures, animations, and games. The course is 90 minutes long, as per HSMV requirements, and is divided into three short lessons on topics related to distracted driving and defensive driving techniques. After each lesson, you’ll take a short quiz. You have to answer both questions correctly in order to move on to the next lesson. Most people pass on their first try, but you may retake it until you pass if needed. At the end of the course, you’ll take a 20-question multiple-choice final exam over the material you learned in the course. You need to score at least 80% in order to pass, but don’t worry. If you need to, you can retake the final exam until you pass at no extra charge.
Distracted driving is a danger to everyone on the road. If you get a ticket for using a handheld wireless communication device in a school crossing, school zone, or work zone and it’s your first offense, take our new Florida Wireless Communications Device Driving Safety Program course! Visit our website to register today.