Video Catches South Florida Drivers Texting on I-95

During rush hour one February evening, analysts filmed 20 minutes of traffic on I-95's northbound lanes from the Clyde Moore Overpass in Boca Raton. During that time, 2,151 cars passed through. Of those 2,151 drivers, it was later revealed that more than 8 percent were driving distracted. That means in a 20-minute span, on one section of highway in Boca, 185 drivers were either talking on the phone, texting, eating, or doing something else that rerouted their focus from the highway — where the speed limit is 60 miles per hour. That's terrifying!

Of those 185 drivers, 150 were talking on the phone (without a hands-free device), 17 were texting, 12 were eating, and six were doing other attention-diverting activities. Technically, eating and driving is not illegal in Florida. Talking on the phone with a handheld device isn't either — because Florida is one of only nine states (like Mississippi and South Carolina) without a handheld-device ban. In 2013, Florida legislators banned texting while driving, but residents criticize its lack of its enforcement. 

Here's the video by SR22Agency: 

The SR22Agency is a company that simplifies the steps in obtaining an SR-22 certificate, a document that verifies a person's financial responsibility after obtaining a "high-risk" insurance policy (usually after receiving a DUI or Driving Without Insurance). They put out the video and accompanying report to raise awareness since April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. 

According to the National Highway Transportation Traffic Safety Administration, there are three types of distracted driving: visual (taking eyes off the road, like texting), manual (taking hands off the road, like eating), and cognitive (taking mind off the road, like talking on the phone). 

Nationally, in 2013, more than 31,000 people died in crashes caused by distracted driving and 424,000 were injured.

Last year, distracted driving caused 3,762 crashes in Broward and 2,194 in Palm Beach. Ultimately it led to 2,967 injuries in Broward and 1,656 injuries in Palm Beach. Eight people died in Broward. Seven people died in Palm Beach.