State Rep Pushing For Ban On Texting While Driving

November 16, 2011

A state legislator who has made road safety his main cause in the Legislature urged, and chastised, the House Transportation and Highway Safety Subcommittee on Tuesday to get behind a ban on texting while driving.

But Rep. Irv Slosberg, whose daughter died in a car crash several years ago, heard as he has in the past that getting such a ban passed may be an uphill fight.

During a workshop on the proposed agency bill for the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Slosberg repeatedly asked why the bill as currently drafted didn’t include such a ban.

“Why aren’t we discussing distracted driving, particularly texting and driving, when 35 states have laws against it?” asked the Boca Raton Democrat, who is the ranking minority member of the committee and has focused largely on seat belt laws and other highway safety legislation during much of his career.

The lawmaker who will sponsor the Highway Safety bill replied that the issue, frankly, is controversial and should be addressed in a stand-alone bill because there are other provisions in the agency bill that must pass. There is a stand-alone bill banning texting while driving – which is awaiting a hearing in the same committee.

“I have to be interested in trying to pass a bill that will not get caught up in challenging politics,” said Rep. Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, who added that he respected Slosberg’s passion on the issue. “What I don’t want to do is put (the highway safety bill) at risk because of some polarizing issues in either the House or Senate.”

Lawmakers last year endorsed a proposal to require that driver education include warnings about texting and driving, but Slosberg said most drivers ed teachers already include that in their curriculum.

The committee chairman, Rep. Brad Drake, R-Eucheeanna, said that just because there is nothing in the draft highway safety legislation, now doesn’t mean the issue can’t be taken up.

“That’s why we’re here,” said Drake. “If it’s decided that’s the direction we’ll go, we’ll go. If there’s not enough support, then you know what happens…. I think any of us would be willing to work on something that might be … feasible, realistic.”

Drake added that Slosberg was welcome to file a stand-alone bill on the issue.

That’s already been done.

Slosberg is the co-sponsor of the bill (HB 299) banning texting while driving, along with Rep. Ray Pilon, R-Sarasota. That measure has three House committee assignments, including Drake’s Highway Safety Committee where it must be heard first. It hasn’t been put on the committee’s agenda for a hearing yet.

By David Royse
The News Service of Florida

Comments

5 Responses to “State Rep Pushing For Ban On Texting While Driving”

  1. Jim on November 16th, 2011 12:13 pm

    Driving licenses are passed out as if driving is a right instead of being a privilege.

    Far too many people are driving that do not have the skills or do not take the lethal weapon they are operating seriously.

    What is needed is a comprehensive driving test to obtain and keep a drivers license. This should be paid for by the person being tested, not the rest of the tax payers.
    So what is wrong with proving that you know how and can drive safely?

    People driving without a valid drivers license should be penalized to the extent that it will discourage them from doing so.
    A law against not texting is a joke….

    We have too many laws with no teeth and legislators that will not do anything to offend any voter.

    Reelection is the most important job of our elected officials because those jobs have far too many perks.

  2. donnie on November 16th, 2011 9:57 am

    Why is it that all democrats want to pass more and more rules and laws? Do you people ever think for yourselves? What is next a law to make it illigeal to go outside in the cold without a coat to keep down sickness? By all means people if you are too stupid to think for yourself keep voting democrat, you won’t have to think for yourself anymore!

  3. Fred on November 16th, 2011 7:31 am

    It never ceases to amaze me that we now need to pass laws to enforce common sense!!!

  4. SW on November 16th, 2011 5:28 am

    Texting while driving is dangerous. So is putting on makeup, articles of clothing, eating, smoking, tuning the radio, talking on the phone, working on the computer, reading, etc. Heck, for some folks, simply driving is dangerous.

    Having a law against it will definitely stop it, though…really?

    Stop with the nanny state stuff.

    Maybe our legislature should meet less often…like once every other year (i.e., Texas)?

  5. 429SCJ on November 16th, 2011 5:23 am

    It would be nice if texting was performed on a special dedicated frequency. It would then be simple enough to installing a jamming device in vehicles, to jam the text frequency. DUH. If we can jam radar microwave signals on the road, we can jam texting comm signals as well.

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