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Bill Would Tighten Florida Texting While Driving Ban
October 28, 2013
Just months after state lawmakers approved a ban on texting while driving, a South Florida senator filed a bill Friday to try to strengthen enforcement. The measure, filed by Sen. Maria Sachs, D-Delray Beach, would allow police to stop motorists for texting while driving and give them citations.
The law passed earlier this year only allows enforcement as what is known as a “secondary offense.” That means motorists can only be cited for texting while driving if they are pulled over for other reasons.
The new law took effect October 1, and Sachs indicated at the time she would file a bill for the 2014 session to try to strengthen enforcement.
Comments
12 Responses to “Bill Would Tighten Florida Texting While Driving Ban”
Search my vehicle I have nothing to hide. I’m more concerned with someone causing a wreck from not paying attention and hurting someone.
While it might sound like a good idea to some, I can see this as being yet another way for our law enforcement to abuse our rights. They LEO’s can claim to have seen a person texting, pull over the drive and then ask to do a search of their vehicle. When will the people of this once great nation finally say enough is enough?
@Ted Frazier – Dialing and texting are the same thing! You are effectively taking your eyes off the road to focus on your mobile device! No difference and you SHOULD be ticketed for talking or texting while driving!
Saying some people should never talk on a phone while others can is like saying “I can handle driving drunk”.
To Ted Frazier:
You said “What if I’m just dialing or answering?”
What is so important that you must be dialing or answering? If you are dialing or answering, 100% of your attention is NOT on driving, which makes you part of the problem. What did we all do before cell phones? If my phone rings while I’m driving, I let it ring and go to voice mail. I am patient enough to wait until I’m off the road before I feel it necessary to talk on the phone. Arrive Alive is not just a cliché.
@sick of it! – A) not leaving car-lengths between you and other vehicles causes an incredible amount of accidents (it just isn’t a “youth” problem), and I speak from professional experience. Traffic really isn’t supposed to be “bumper to bumper,” and given how much she clearly irritated you, I’m going to go out on a limb and assume you were riding hers. B) Can you say that she was texting while she was driving rather than waiting until she got to the stop light, which would be the “right” way to deal with using your phone in the car? Sounds like you were in a hurry.
This law is just more feel-good legislation. As stated by Mr. Frazier, if someone is driving erratically regardless of the reason, we already have that covered. All we’ve done is make the nature of our rights appear a little more vague and watered down. Oh well, the unchanging numbers will speak for themselves.
Nooo!!!! it might save me and my family from the people that have no regard for other people on the highway. Drifting from lane to lane acting like no one knows what i’m doing to make it unsafe for other people. The thing you read about is( IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN TO ME). It is not worth it !!!!!!!
I think it should be a primary offense and have stricter penalties.. Distracted driving should be like a DUI.. The end results are the same.. Dead is Dead.. Just because you picked up a phone instead of a bottle it doesn’t make your negligence alright.. Hang up and drive!!
In reguards to Mr Frazier all they half to do is look at the phone it will tell them if they were texing or not, I think this is good that law inforcement can pull some one over for texing its going to save a lot of lives.
Following behind a deputy on the way home from work…he was weaving from one lane to the next and this was 23:00 pitch black. I am 5 car spaces behind him at 25 miles per hour on mobile Hiway. We went from Brownville @ W street to Fairfield drive and his main intent instead of pulling over and use his squad laptop was to drive and focus on his laptop. I pulled beside him at the redlight at Fairfield and honked my horn.
He rolled his window down and I asked him what was worse–texting while driving or using your laptop from W street to here weaving from each lane to the next. He turned his blue lights on and blew through the redlight while I am still sitting there. Sitting at the redlight I see him turn off his blue lights and then take a left into the Waffle house. As I drove by the waffle house he was just getting out of his car. Walking to get something to eat I presume. Now ho is going to enforce what???? This guy?
As we were driving to Pensacola yesterday the traffic was pretty bad. We were in the faster lane as we wanted to go the speed limit. The traffic was bumper to bumper in both lanes. The person in front of us had several car lengths in between her and the next vehicle. (matter of fact she was going much slower than the sixty five mph limit) When we got to the stop light we looked over and she was texting on her phone. And my friend that is what causes many a wreck! I think if a cop sees them he has every right to ticket them.
Nooo! This is going to give police the ability to stop and ticket anybody they see holding a phone while driving. What if I am just dialing or answering? It also gives cops one more reason to pull over anybody they feel like harassing by saying “I thought I saw you holding a phone.” Some people just should never talk on a phone while driving while others can just fine. We already have law against driving distracted so if someone is texting and swerving or taking their hands off the wheel then the cops can indeed pull them over and ticket them under current law.
Good!