The Florida bill that would turn texting while driving from a secondary into a primary offense continues to make its way successfully, recently passing the hurdle of the House Judiciary Committee. The Committee approved the House bill but it did not approve a potential change to a Senate bill that would require law enforcement to make a note of a driver’s ethnicity and race when writing a texting while driving ticket. The change/requirement was added to address concerns about racial profiling among minorities.
In its current status as a secondary offense, a motorist can only be cited if he or she has been pulled over for a different reason. Should the Senate and House legislation succeed, the offense would be “upgraded” into a primary one, allowing law enforcement officials to stop a driver if the person is caught texting while driving.
In 2016, over 50,000 motor vehicle crashes in Florida alone were caused by motorists driving distracted. Over 200 of those crashes, unfortunately, resulted in fatalities.
This update is brought to you by the Miami traffic attorney team of Hochman & Goldin, P.A. We can assist you with criminal traffic violations and are ready to answer your questions. Please call 305-665-1000 to speak with a red light camera violation attorney today.
This information is provided for educational or informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. The information is not provided in the course of an attorney-client relationship and is not intended to substitute for legal advice.