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Bill: Drivers Texting In Fatal Crashes Would Be Guilty Of Homicide
February 11, 2013
Drivers whose texting leads to an accident and death would be guilty of homicide under a bill filed last week in the Senate and expected to soon show up in the House.
Drivers whose texting led to death could be charged with vehicular homicide, a second degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in jail under a proposal (SB 708) filed this week by Sen. Darren Soto, D-Orlando.
Rep. Irv Slosberg, D-Boca Raton, is expected to file a companion measure in the House.
The bills are among a handful of efforts to reduce the use of wireless communications by motorists. Florida is one of a few states that have not adopted restrictions against texting while driving – even when death occurs as a result.
By The News Service of Florida
Comments
12 Responses to “Bill: Drivers Texting In Fatal Crashes Would Be Guilty Of Homicide”
So this bill allows texting and driving to be legal as long as it doesn’t cause an accident that kills someone?
Odds are that the person texting and driving would become disabled and need lots of health care, if they survive, so now we will have the Privately Owned Jails providing what at some point will be Privately Owned Health Care Providers to care for this criminal with state tax dollars and probably dollars from the insurance companies involved.
This bill is only needed for the sake of the money involved with the outcome of this type of accident. Vehicular Homicide by definition simply mean a vehicular death caused by someone. It doesn’t prove intent other than negligence, which we already have laws for.
This is just more “feel good” Legislation that looks good with hidden cost that has no substantive point considering the other vehicular homicide laws that already exist. Wall street will like it and it will make good political spin for Republicans in the next election. In other words, an empty effort for empty minds to be emotionally manipulated by.
I was watching a news channel the other night and the have a app. That you can put on certain phones that you can’t tex….that would make a lot of kids mad but oh well better to be mad than hurt or kill some one….the app. Is free.
I strongly agree that if a vehicle is moving ,you should no be able to talk or Text on your phone. I watched a lady while talking on her cell phone go right threw a red light, almost hit 2 cars. she never even hit her breaks after she went threw , ‘am wondering if she even realized she Had just ran a red light. please stop talking and Texting while driving.Back in the day if you needed to call someone or they needed to talk to you. you waited til you get home. Boy thoses where the days.There good to have if you break down or need to call 911 . But wait until you get to where your going.enjoy the peace and quiet. God Bless Everyone.
Another law on the books….why do you people seem so willing to allow government to keep padding the books with layers and layers of rules and regulations. Criminally negligent homicide is already on the books….do you need another way to say it? Isn’t government too involved in our lives already?
Finally, a bill with some teeth, but not enough… as I commented on texting in another article, everyone needs to be informed about this addiction, bad habit , whatever you want to call this texting problem, Alabama has a texting law with low fines to begin with, and it is no deterrent to the texting while driving problem. The taxpaying citizens of Florida need to make it clear to the lawmakers that it is imperative that any bill introduced should include levying heavy fines for first and subsequent offenses including jail time…enough is enough…drivers should not text or try to read texts while operating a motor vehicle…PERIOD! …and all of you reading this who do drive and text think this is drastic you all think about that when its your loved ones who are injured or worst yet killed by some inattentive driver texting or reading a text…and think about it too if you are the driver texting and you’re the one causing the problem… enough said…
AMEN! Now all we do is hope that the bill pasted and put in place. Then hope that our Judges and justice system DON’T give the drivers a slap on the hand regardless if it’s the first time or not. Texting and driving is getting more dangerous than drunk drivers, especially when we have teens at the wheel.
Totally agree with this law! My husband has been run off the road two times for teenagers looking down texting. If he hadn’t been watching he would have hit head on. Only til he blows the horn do they look up and try to get back in their lane. He was run off the road and bearly got control back from trying to miss the vehicle that caused him to almost wreck. Something has got to change. This is no different than a drunk driving into your lane and causing an accident or death. I don’t think texting should even be allowed at red lights. I have to blow my horn to get the teenagers to go when the light turns green. Younger people are too tempted to heed to the laws as long as they have access to texting. Its not only about my safety. Its about protecting everyone on the road including the ones texting.
Texting and driving don’t mix… What is sad, you see it everday day. And just last week, I pulled up to a red light and pulling up next to me was one of Escambia Counties finest Deputies, in his hand was a cell phone and you’d never guess what he was doing… YEP.. TEXTING!!!! And if you follow facebook. It’s funny to read from an office of the law” In route to a domestic call”…They should be setting an example.
The problem with this is that most people that text, just as the people that DUI think that “it couldn’t happen to me” and “bad stuff only happens to other people”. And of course there’s the lawyers…
It’s about time.. Distracted driving should be the same as DUI.. Why should sober people get a free pass when their negligence kills or harms others? Everybody should be held accountable for their actions..
Good idea, but this doesn’t have a chance of passing because this bunch won’t even pass a traffic ticket law for texting and driving.
That should read “Drivers whose texting leads to a collision…” This is an act of negligence on the pert of the texting driver and is in no way an accident.