August Newsletter 2024

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Back to school!! What an exciting time of the year (for the parents!!). It’s a good time to remind everyone to practice pedestrian safety and keep an extra eye out for kids who may be walking or riding their bikes to school for the first time. Please remember that pedestrians often have the right of way.

Karen Montas, Esq.

Best Foot Forward for Pedestrian Safety

Preparing for the start of a new school year involves getting backpacks, lunches, and new clothes ready, meeting new friends, and reconnecting with familiar faces. As children embark on a new grade, they encounter exciting new experiences and learning opportunities. Amid the new school year jitters, parents naturally worry about their children's safety, especially those who walk or bike to school. To give parents peace of mind and ensure the safety of our children, Florida has implemented Operation Best Foot Forward.

The Best Foot Forward for Pedestrian Safety Program was launched to raise awareness and educate drivers on pedestrian safety. This initiative involves plainclothes officers and deputies crossing streets at marked crosswalks, ensuring drivers comply with Florida law by stopping for pedestrians. Violators face a $164 citation and three points on their license. The enforcement effort, spanning six counties from July 23 to August 2, 2024, targets crosswalks within a mile of schools. Data shows only 45% of drivers yield at school crossings, emphasizing the need for such measures. The Best Foot Forward coalition combines enforcement, education, and engineering to improve road safety, supported by Bike/Walk Central Florida, which advocates for safer pedestrian and bicyclist infrastructure.

Watch for pedestrians, especially in school zones.

Legally Speaking...

Deaths Caused by Faulty Replacement Air Bag Inflators

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that three people have died and two were seriously injured in the past nine months due to faulty low-cost replacement airbag inflators. These substandard inflators, often made by foreign companies with little manufacturing reputation, can malfunction in crashes, sending metal fragments into drivers. NHTSA advises used car buyers to check vehicle history reports and have airbags inspected by independent mechanics if the vehicle has been in a prior crash. This warning comes amid ongoing concerns about airbag inflators degrading in high humidity, linked to more than 30 deaths globally since 2009, primarily from Takata inflators, which prompted the largest auto safety recall in history, involving over 67 million inflators in the U.S. and over 100 million worldwide.

Check airbag inflator when buying a used cars.

New Laws in Florida Involving the First Amendment

Several bills passed during the 2024 Florida legislative went into effect on July 1, 2024, many of which address the constitutionally protected right to free expression and may face First Amendment challenges. Key changes include raising the minimum age for working in adult entertainment establishments to 21, allowing volunteer chaplains in schools, limiting non-parental book challenges in schools, restricting citizen police oversight boards, and barring "identity politics" from teacher preparation programs. Additionally, political ads using AI to deceive voters will require disclaimers, with penalties for violations.

While these new laws have been implemented, some significant measures will not take effect until 2025. These include a ban on minors under 16 from using social media platforms with addictive features unless they have parental permission and a requirement for age verification to access pornographic websites. Furthermore, a new law imposing criminal penalties for anyone who approaches within 25 feet of working first responders with the intent to impede or harass will also take effect next year. These changes reflect a broad range of legislative priorities, from enhancing public safety to regulating digital content.

Recent Accident?

Your insurance coverage can be affected by what you do after a motor vehicle accident.

Pet of the Month:

Meet Gideon

Our Pet of the Month is Gideon. He is the spoiled furry family member of legal assistant, Denyse Olson. Weighing in at a mere 120 lbs. this 11-year-old senior gentleman is an Akita, Husky, Malamute, Lab mix who embodies all the best traits of each breed. Gideon loves toys, unwrapping his own presents, watching T.V., long car rides, and walking off leash whenever possible. Although he’s clearly not a lap dog, he loves to snuggle and is very friendly to all he meets.

We would love to hear about your pet!

If you would like to have your pet highlighted in our newsletter, please send us a photo and a little information about them by clicking the link below.

We can’t wait to meet your pet!

Johnson & Montas, P.A. In The Community

Helping Back Home in the Dominican Republic                                                                        Attorney Montas was born in the Dominican Republic and immigrated with her family to Brevard County when she was 10 years old. Although she is now a United States citizen, she still has close ties to her Dominican community. Recently she had the opportunity to partner with Fundacion la respuesta de Dios to rebuild a home in Cambita that was tragically consumed by fire.

The home and the family's personal belongings were completely consumed by the fire.

The home is now being reconstructed using concrete blocks instead of wood.

Karen's Shoe of the Month!

If you know Attorney Karen Montas, you know she is a shoe connoisseur. These black and white plaid pumps are all business and would look great with a solid bright-colored suit.

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