A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says Florida ranks as number one in the nation for vehicle-related drownings. And, that’s why one Florida lawmaker says he’s happy the Governor signed “Chloe’s Law.”
Sen. Darren Soto (D-Orlando) says his bill is named after 21-year-old Chloe Arenas, “a UCF student, who unfortunately passed this summer in a waterbody that was adjacent to one of our state roads.”
Soto says if there had been a guardrail or a roadside barrier in place, then Arenas’ life may have been saved.
And, we’re seeing this quite a bit throughout not only Central Florida, but the Tampa Bay area and in South Florida. And, so, this is going to go a long way in saving lives here in our state,” he said.
That’s why he says his bill is crucial.
“It would require the Florida Department of Transportation to erect barriers along bodies of water on state roads where death has occurred due to drowning between July 1st, 2006 and July 1st, 2016,” he added. “They’ll also be submitting a report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House with any necessary changes and Department rules.”
The new law takes effect July 1st.
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