BikeWalkLee urges Lee County Legislative Delegation to strengthen distracted driving laws--support HB 45/SB 76

For the 6th year in a row, BikeWalkLee's top priority for the Florida Legislature has been to enact legislation to strengthen Florida's laws dealing with distracted driving. As the 2019 Legislative Session begins, BikeWalkLee has written to our Lee Legislative delegation.  We hope that strong legislation is enacted in 2019!

January 2, 2019

 

Members of Lee County Legislative Delegation:

 

BikeWalkLee, a coalition raising public awareness and advocating for complete streets in Lee County, has long urged the Legislature to improve the safety of all road users in Florida.  In particular, our top legislative priority for the past six years has been passing a bill to strengthen Florida's laws dealing with distracted driving, in particular the weak “texting while driving” law.  As the 2019 legislative session begins, we urge you to strengthen roadway safety laws to address the growing dangers of distracted driving.  Specifically, we request that you co-sponsor the pending bill (HB 45/SB 76) that would make texting or talking on a hand-held cell phone a “primary” offense, dubbed the “Hands-Free Florida Law.”

 

Across the nation, overall traffic fatalities have surged in the past four years.  In Florida, traffic fatalities climbed by 25% between 2014 and 2017.  In Lee County, fatal traffic crashes increased much faster –40% between 2014 to 2017. According to the Florida Dept. of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there were almost 50,000 crashes involving distracted driving in Florida in 2016, and these crashes accounted for more than 3,500 serious injuries and 233 deaths.

 

Most experts agree that the primary cause of the surge in traffic fatalities is distracted driving, increasingly caused by the use of smart phones and internet apps.The National Safety Council reports that the risk of a crash is four times greater when a cell phone is in use. According to the national “Safe Driving Report: 2016-2017” (issued by the insurance firm EverQuote Inc.), Florida ranked the second-worst state for distracted driving.

 

Recent studies show there is a relationship between individual state roadway safety rankings and that state’s driver safety laws and enforcement of those laws.While Florida is one of the most dangerous statesin the country for road users, it ranks as the seventh worst state for driver safety laws(2016 study by the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety). Florida is one of only four states that doesn't make texting while driving a primary offense—which allows police to pull over motorists for offenses. Clearly, one of the reasons Florida's traffic fatalities are among the highest in the nation is that it has very weak driver safety laws in place. 

 

Florida's alarming increase in traffic fatalities is not only a concern for driver safety, it is of particular concern for vulnerable road users -- pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists -- who are at the greatest risk when drivers take their eyes off the road.  The national 2016 “Dangerous by Design” report ranked Florida as the most dangerous state in the country for pedestrians, and eight of the most dangerous metro areas in the U.S. are in Florida, with Lee County being ranked the most dangerous in the country!The 2018 “Dangerous by Design” report is due out this month and we anticipate that Florida will continue its dubious distinction as worst in the country.

 

This is a crisis that can no longer be ignored by the Florida Legislature.

 

It is time to address the larger problem of use of cell phones while driving, not just texting.  Not only is the current Florida texting law weak, it is difficult to enforce.  Laws prohibiting all motor vehicle drivers from using hand-held electronic communication devices while driving can be more effectively enforced. 

 

We know that stronger laws will reduce Florida’s roadway fatalities.  Of the 15 states and the District of Columbia that have enacted “hands-free” laws, 13 saw an average 17.5% decrease in traffic fatalities within two years after passing and enforcing their new laws.  Applying these findings to Florida, if HR 45/SB 76 were enacted an estimated 545 lives could be saved each year.

 

In each of the past six years, the Florida Legislature failed to take any action to strengthen its weak anti-texting law, and took no action to address the broader causes of distracted driving.  It is critically important that the Legislature take action this year to address the growing dangers presented by the use of electronic devices while driving.

 

We urge the Lee delegation to support HB 45/SB 76.  Further, given that Lee County citizens are disproportionately  at risk, we encourage you to take a leadership role in championing this legislation and work with your leadership to ensure that the bill is enacted this year.

 

Thank you for your support. 

Darla Letourneau

on behalf of BikeWalkLee

 

cc: Lee MPO Members

 

 

New year, new you?

BikeWalkLee Column
The News-Press, January 3, 2019
by Ken Gooderham

Will a happy new year mean a happier (or at least healthier) new you?

Tis the season for resolutions, and for myriad stories extolling the excellence of exercise. They’re right, of course – regular exercise has a host of health-improving benefits, leading to both a better quality and quantity of life.

Reaching the recommended level of exertion is not out of reach; the current levels are 150 minutes of Moderate aerobic activity (or 75 minutes of vigorous exertion) per week, plus strength training for all major muscle groups twice a week – or, for shorthand, 30 moderate minutes a day to maintain, and it doesn’t need to be continuous.

That’s possible in most daily lives – particular if you, first, find something you enjoy doing as exercise; and, second, find something that works into your usual daily routine.

Of course, you’d expect a group named BikeWalkLee to suggest biking or walking (running’s good, too, if you want to be more vigorous in your pursuit of fitness). Both can be done in a variety of place and times of day, both can easily be made part of one’s daily routine, and both are accessible to a variety of abilities and skill sets.

You can bike or walk for fun, for fitness, or for transportation… as a way to get things done or get some time alone. The cost of admission is another plus: Bicycles and good walking shoes can fit most budgets, and the facilities (sidewalks and bike paths or lanes, assuming there are some near you) are free… or at least you already paid for them.

Need to get more steps in? Walk to nearby errands rather than taking the car, or (if a car is unavoidable) park further away from your destination and hoof it the rest of the way. This time of year, you also have the advantage of a moderate climate to make the walk more welcoming.

Rather ride? Again, look at nearby errand that can be done by bike (which will also help control your purchases if you have to ride them back home). Have a close commute? Bike it a day or two a week… or even every day while the weather cooperates.

Need incentives? Set reasonable goals and be reasonable in reaching them. Need more than that? Find someone to help motivate you, if that’s your thing. Or use technology – in the form of any number of gadgets that will track your daily efforts by step, mile or other forms of measurement.

Of course, make sure you’re able to be more able by checking with a medical professional to be sure you’re healthy enough to get healthier. They can also recommend ways to work around existing conditions or how to make adjustments to make exercise more beneficial.

Making exercise routine, and making it a priority, will make it more likely you’ll keep at it and hit your goals (and more). If biking or walking simply becomes “what you do every day,” you’ll end up doing it – and that’s the point.

Because the bigger issue is not extolling exercise or harping on healthiness. It’s staying “well” enough to preserve your wellness – the “move it or lose it” approach. The longer you can maintain some basic level of fitness – a state of health and well-being -- the longer you’ll likely be able to maintain a good quality of life, to be able to do the things you enjoy and keep up with the people you want to have in your life.

Start to lose the ability to perform the most basic of physical activities and you start losing that quality of life – and once it’s gone, getting it back takes a lot of work (if it can be done at all).

Newton’s first law of motion says it best: "A body at rest will remain at rest, and a body in motion will remain in motion unless it is acted upon by an external force."

So make this new year the time you put (or keep) your body in motion, by making some kind of exercise regular, routine and rewarding.

Ready to ride or run?

Run?  After a holiday break, races start ramping up again… with a Snowman’s Shuffle 5K run/walk at Lakes Park Saturday and the renamed Hooter’s River, Roots and Ruts trail run (10-mile or 5K) at the Caloosahatchee Regional Park in Alva on Sunday. Details at active.com, ftmyerstrackclub.com respectively.

Ride? Tomorrow night is the monthly Critical Mass night ride through downtown Fort Myers, with the Sanibel night ride set for Jan. 12. Front and rear bike lights required, so grab your helmet, bring all your friends. The regular Sunday morning rides continue as well; details on all at meetup.com . Looking for more of a challenge? Look to the Hamster Wheel 200 in Punta Gorda, a 12.5-mile loop you can ride to your heart’s content (or at least your leg’s ability). Details at peaceriverridersbicycleclub.com.

Both? Upcoming events include:

• Sunday, Jan. 6: HITS Triathlon Series, with sprint, Olympic and half-Ironman distances. Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota (hitstriathlonseries.com)
• Sunday, Feb.11: Tri Your Heart Out sprint, Sarasota (trifind.com)
• Willing to drive? Check trifind.com or active.com for tris around the state.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RIDE:

Have a favorite route you like to bike, or a unique walk you’d like to share with others? Tell us about it at info@bikewalklee.org, and maybe we can feature it in an upcoming column.

# # #

Ken Gooderham writes this on behalf of BikeWalkLee, a community coalition raising public awareness and advocating for complete streets in Lee County — streets that are designed, built, operated and maintained for safe and convenient travel for all users: pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities. Information, statistics and background online at www.BikeWalkLee.org. 


 

Roundabouts are here and more are coming

Florida Weekly 'Outdoors' column, 1/1/2019
danMOSER
bikepedmoser@gmail.com

This spot at McGregor Boulevard and Virginia Avenue near the Edison and Ford Estates will become a major intersection once the empty lot is developed.

A significant and welcome change is coming to many of our intersections in the form of roundabouts, a feature that benefits drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike, including those with limited mobility, vision issues and other disabilities. Unfortunately, many older roundabouts (also known as rotaries and traffic circles) throughout the country have design flaws that have left a negative impression on some who’ve used them and even for some who haven’t due to bad press and negative word of mouth. But modern roundabouts — especially those designed in the last decade — are much improved and do indeed make using them safer and more efficient for all users.

Acceptance of roundabouts among governments is now commonplace, with FDOT leading the way, at least in terms of encouraging them via funding that flows through them (they report 20 being on state roads, a relatively low number considering that’s statewide). Slowed speeds, reduced conflict points, and lack of right-angle (T-bone) and head-on collision potential are key factors as to why they are so much safer than traditional intersections. According to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, studies of intersections in the United States converted from traffic signals or stop signs to roundabouts have resulted in decreases in injury crashes by 72-80 percent, fatal crashes by 90 percent, and reductions in all crashes by 35-47 percent, which includes a 40 percent reduction in pedestrian collisions (no statistics for bicyclists were noted). Those are significant improvements in safety that are hard to dismiss merely because of pushback from some who fear them. At least from my perspective, motorists who truly cannot navigate them after traversing them more than once probably shouldn’t be behind the wheel in the first place. As an aside, AARP fully supports roundabouts.

While reduction in crashes and the injuries or fatalities that result are the primary reason why transportation planners are moving in this direction, cost is also an important consideration. When roundabouts are used instead of traffic signals — which is frequently the case — they save taxpayers a significant amount of money in terms of both upfront and ongoing operating costs. Storage space in the form of additional pavement for turn lanes and additional through lanes are also another cost saving element since roundabouts increase both space and delay efficiency compared to signalized intersections. Less obvious but still significant is reduced fuel consumption and air pollution when idling while waiting for the signal to change as well as less time wasted for the same reason. And lest we forget, another benefit of these type of intersections being low-tech is that when a power outage occurs chaos doesn’t prevail. You’ll recall that being the case for days and even weeks at some intersections after our recent hurricanes.

In Lee County there are 10 roundabouts already in place on public roads, 11 programmed, and 30 more planned; this doesn’t even include the many in gated communities and on other private roads. But even though the city of Fort Myers is a leader in their use there’s currently a battle taking place regarding a roundabout that’s proposed for McGregor Boulevard at Virginia Avenue, a rather benign intersection currently, but one that’s soon to be very busy. The long-empty lot adjacent to that corner will soon become City Walk, a major mixed-use development that will include offices, retail businesses, condos, townhouses and a hotel. Also, Virginia will become a primary route between Cleveland Avenue and McGregor once the realignment of Edison Avenue occurs. Based on detailed analysis that’s been undertaken, that intersection will require traffic management; the analysis indicates a roundabout would clearly be the best option versus traffic signals. But because of resistance based on misperception and fear of change among some residents, there’s enough pushback that it’s yet to be formally approved. Protected royal palms will be removed by either option.

A report on roundabout use in Lee County can be found at Lee MPO (leempo.com). Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (www.pedbikeinfo.org) and USDOT/FHWA (safety.fhwa.dot.gov) have information related to how roundabouts impact non-motorists. And because roundabouts are a vital element of Complete Streets, bikewalklee.blogspot.com has more about their use, locally and elsewhere. ¦

- Dan Moser is a long-time bicycle/pedestrian advocate and traffic safety professional who cycles, runs and walks regularly for transportation, recreation and fitness. Contact him at bikepedmoser@gmail.com and 334-6417. 

For Lee County cycling and tri events visit Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club (caloosariders.org); Florida Mudcutters (mudcutters.org); and SW Florida Biking Meetup Group (meetup.com/Biking-SWFL). The Florida Bicycle Association (floridabicycle.org) is your source for statewide happenings. BikeWalkLee’s blog site has all the information you’ll need to stay abreast of advocacy efforts in Southwest Florida as well as statewide and nationally.