News 6 hosts Driving Change town hall

News 6 anchor Matt Austin hosted a special Town Hall Forum to discuss the growing public frustration and needed changes to Florida’s texting and driving laws on Wednesday evening. 

Smart phones are playing a greater role in our daily lives. But despite the many benefits, they also invite disruptiveness and distraction.

[Read more stories here: Distracted driving blamed for rise in traffic deaths, injuries I Driving Change: A family's struggle without its matriarch I  Florida lawmaker calls for stronger texting while driving law] 

According to the CDC, a person texting is six times more likely to cause an accident than someone who is driving drunk. In 2015, 39,468 Floridians were injured and 216 more were killed because of distracted drivers. Fatalities in the state related to distracted drivers have increased more than ten-fold between 2011 and 2015.

The simple truth is that prioritizing enforcement of Florida’s driving and texting law will save lives.

Guests  for Wednesday night's town hall include Brett Railey, who is the former Chief of the Winter Park Police Department; Sgt.  Kim Montes of the Florida Highway Patrol; and Chief Jeffrey Chudnow of the Oviedo Police Department.