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Florida in Middle of Texting While Driving Debate
Posted on Mar 11, 2010
Yesterday, a Florida House committed unanimously pushed forward a bill that would make texting while driving a secondary offense. The proposed law also prohibits drivers from reading from wireless devices while driving.
Originally, the proposed bill would have made texting while driving a primary offense. However, after over an hour of debate, the committee pushed forward a “softer” version of the bill, which requires a police office to have another reason to stop the driver and write a citation. A first-time offender could face a $30 fine, as well as court costs. A second-time violator within five years would constitute a moving violation, and the texting driver would have to pay $60 as well as court costs. Lawmakers decided that the compromised bill would be better than taking no action at all.
Over a dozen similar bills have been proposed in the House and Senate this year, but this proposal by Rep. Doug Holder, R-Sarasota is the most supported texting while driving bill so far.
At least 19 states have passed texting while driving bans in recent years. The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that distractions caused by mobile devices lead to 6,000 deaths per year on U.S. highways. Over 135 billion text messages were transmitted over a one-month period in the U.S., which is an 80% increase since 2008.
If you have any questions about a traffic violation you have been charged with, do not hesitate to contact St. Petersburg traffic attorneys at Rooth Law Group for a free consultation, (727) 797-9600 in Pinellas County, 813-333-6517 in Hillsborough County.
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