Bills Target Floridians Who Text Behind The Wheel

TALLAHASSEE, FL — Motorists who text behind the wheel may soon find themselves facing tougher penalties in the Sunshine State if two bills introduced into the Florida House garner approval next year. One bill would make texting while driving a primary offense while another would target young drivers who text.

Florida is one of five states where texting while driving is not a primary offense. That means law enforcement officers have to have another reason to pull a motorist over before they can issue a ticket for texting. Should the bills make it through to Gov. Rick Scott’s desk, however, texting alone would be reason enough for a cop to pull a motorist over.

The first of the bills is HB 47. That bill would change texting while driving from a secondary to a primary offense. It also seeks to double the fine for texting while driving in a school zone. Should the bill get a green light from the House, Senate and Scott, it would become law on July 1, 2017.

Meanwhile, House Bill 69 targets drivers age 18 and younger who text behind the wheel. That law would make it a primary offense for young motorists only. The bill would become law on July 1, 2017, if it receives approval.

Distracted driving remains a concern in counties across the state of Florida. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there were 45,700 distracted driving crashes on Sunshine State roads in 2015 alone. Those crashes resulted in more than 39,000 injuries and more than 200 fatalaties.

“Distracted driving is extremely risky behavior that not only puts drivers and passengers in danger, but others out on the road as well,” Col. Gene Spaulding, director of the Florida Highway Patrol, said in introducing this year’s Distracted Driving Awareness Month. FHP and other state agencies dedicate the month of April each year to educating motorists about the dangers of distracted driving.

According to the state, the breakdown of distracted driving-related crashes by county in the Tampa Bay area in 2015 was as follows:

• Hillsborough – 3,896
• Pasco – 962
• Pinellas – 1,958
• Polk – 1,222
• Sarasota – 830
• Manatee – 501

Miami-Dade County also recorded 4,445 distracted driving-related crashes while Orange County witnessed 5,506.

The 2017 regular legislative session begins in March. To read the text of HB 47, visit the state's website. The text of HB 69 can be found here.

What do you think? Should texting while driving be a primary offense in Florida? Tell us by commenting below.

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