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Your Voice Matters and license suspension of up to five years. “Ron’s case was dealt with
in traffic court. The phone was never confiscated and thus no reason
was ever found for what happened,” said Mary. “I don’t feel we got
How You Can Turn any kind of justice. We have to live the rest of our lives without
Ron.”
Tragedy into Action awareness about how best to share the road, and safer pathways,
Mary believes with stricter laws for distracted driving, more

tragedies like Ron’s can be prevented. With more severe penalties
by Advocating for like those in Canada, who would even think about picking up their
phones behind the wheel?
Safer Roads Since Ron’s untimely passing, Naples Pathways has been
tirelessly advocating for hands-free cell phone legislation and
educating all road users about the dangers of distracted driving
through our statewide Hands-Free Florida coalition and campaign.
by Michelle Avola-Brown, Executive Director, With my testimony and that of other supporters in the 2024
Naples Pathways Coalition legislative session, House Bill 1469 passed unanimously in three
committees. Unfortunately, the chair of the Senate Transportation
was heartbroken when I received a call Committee blocked the hearing of Senate Bill 1664, which killed
last year from one of our supporters, Mary what could have become a lifesaving law.
I Campeau, who shared that her husband There are 31 other states that prohibit hand-held device usage
Ron, an avid cyclist, was killed by a distracted while driving, providing an average drop in crashes and fatalities of
driver in Naples. She and Ron had spent season 15% within months. Ohio passed this legislation in 2023, and there
in Naples for years. They shared a love of travel, were 25% fewer road fatalities in the six months that followed. Yet
hiking and biking. When visiting Naples, Ron in Florida, from 2020 to 2023, there was an almost 18% increase in
had a goal to bike the distance between Naples phone interaction behind the wheel.
and his home in Canada during each visit. To help get those miles Drivers are 23 times more likely to be in a crash just from
in, he often attended our fundraiser rides. He met that goal every holding their phone while driving. According to the National
year until someone too engrossed in their phone to pay attention Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), phone
to the road took his life, and changed Mary’s forever. interaction while driving is six times more dangerous than driving
That reckless driver didn’t hear surrounding cars blaring their under the influence of alcohol, which became illegal in 1986.
horns as their drivers could see the deadly trajectory of the vehicle The NHTSA also states that road crashes cost the US economy
that ran over this beloved father, husband, grandfather, and friend approximately $340 billion every year. Our auto insurance rates
to so many. Mary was appalled to realize how useless Florida’s clearly reflect that.
distracted driving laws are, especially compared to those in Canada With the partnership of Florida Bicycle Association, the Kiefer
and the other states and countries where they traveled for their Foundation, StopDistractions.org, Bike Law, Naples Velo, Florida
hiking and biking adventures. (Although texting while driving is Share the Road Coalition and others across the state, Naples
a primary offense here, and hands-free cell phone use is legally Pathways will continue to advocate for safer roads in 2025.
required in school and construction zones, loopholes make these Let your voice be heard. Contact your local legislators
laws virtually unenforceable.)
to ask them to push for hands-free cell phone use legislation.
Because Ron participated in several of our fundraising events, For a list of email addresses and phone numbers for all Florida
Marry and Ron were familiar with our mission to improve safety
representatives visit
for people who walk, bike, and run. During our call, I shared www.flhouse.gov/representatives and www.flsenate.gov/Senators
with Mary about our work to end distracted driving through
Become part of the solution. You can support our work
our Hands-Free Florida campaign. She asked me to attend the
by making a donation at www.NaplesPathways.org/Donate
sentencing of the distracted driver. We were infuriated that the
and sign the hands-free device usage petition at
man who killed Ron would only pay a $1,000 fine. Although
www.HandsFreeFlorida.org
no fine or prison sentence would bring him back, this minimal
When you are driving, please put down your
penalty was the ultimate insult to his devastated family.
In Canada, driving while distracted and causing a fatality can phone and focus on the road. Sending a text, checking the
result in dangerous driving charges, which are a criminal offense weather, scrolling social media, reading an email, and everything
and carry harsh penalties: up to 14 years in jail, fines up to $50,000, else we do on our phones can wait.
Nothing is worth taking someone’s life–or losing your own.

For more information, please visit www.NaplesPathways.org and www.HandsFreeFlorida.org
If you have any specific questions, email me at Michelle@NaplesPathways.org

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