Dropped cell phone calls are pesky and cumbersome but might also be dangerous, especially while driving 70 MPH down the interstate. The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) is currently investigating a possible connection between dropped phone calls and the frequency of car crashes, reports news4Jax.com.
The area being investigated is a stretch along Interstate 95 in St. Johns County, Florida, home to St. Augustine. Residents have reported several different dead zones along the stretch of highway, and DeadCellZones.com also shows bad coverage areas in the county.
Dropped calls can become a distraction for drivers who try and reconnect after the call has been dropped. While texting and driving is illegal in Florida, talking on the phone is not, although the FHP discourages redialing while driving.
“Redialing a cellular call is allowed. However, that is an unsafe action, so we encourage people to drive as safely as possible,” FHP Sgt. Dylan Bryan recently told news4jax.com. “We call it a triple threat. Your eyes are off the road; your hands are usually off the wheel and your mind’s off driving.”
FHP has investigated 579 crashes along Interstate 95 since the beginning of last year and found that only seven were due to distracted driving. However, Bryan said that number might be higher if subpoenas for victim’s phone records are obtained.
January 12, 2017
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