Texting while driving remains a dangerous problem, often leading to serious or even fatal consequences because of distracted drivers. In the state of Florida, there is currently a ban on texting while driving, but enforcing it is easier said than done. In order for an officer to stop a driver allegedly caught texting, he or she must have also committed a violation of some other offense. This basically makes the ban useless. That may soon change as lawmakers consider upgrading texting while driving from a secondary into a primary offense.
Originally passed in 2013, Florida officers have issued very few tickets for texting which carries a minimum $30 fine. The new proposed laws would allow law enforcement officers to stop anyone they reasonably believe to be texting and driving without having to stop them for a different citation.
Per the National Safety Council, texting can significantly impair a driver, reducing their ability to process moving images by up to a third. Other studies show that an impaired driver (i.e. drunk driver) may actually be less dangerous than a texting driver as the texting driver is not looking at the road.
If you have been injured by a driver texting or otherwise distracted, call Tampa Attorney Martin Hernandez at 813.755.9500.
