The Legislature is again considering bills that would bar drivers from texting while they drive, a move that would add Florida to a long list of states — 35, plus the District of Columbia — that have passed such laws in recent years.
Florida lawmakers have been hostile to such measures — one died in committee last year — because they generally oppose government intrusion into people's lives.
"There are already laws on the books that make it illegal to drive unsafely," said Jim Harper, director of information policy studies for the libertarian Cato Institute.
Florida has a "reckless driving" law.
Senate bill (SB 416) banning texting while driving zipped through three committees with two votes cast against it, but it has not been scheduled for a final vote by the full chamber. The House version (HB 299) has gone nowhere.
Both bills would make texting subject to secondary enforcement, meaning police could cite drivers for it only if they had been pulled over for another violation such as speeding. A first violation would be a $30 fine; a second violation within five years would be $60. And if texting resulted in a crash, the driver would be assessed six points — 12 points within a year leads to a 30-day license suspension.
The House sponsor, Rep. Ray Pilon of R-Sarasota, said his bill is in limbo in the transportation and highway safety subcommittee.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement
Advertisement