- Joined
- Aug 20, 2006
- Messages
- 13,000
Florida remains one of the few states in which texting while driving isn’t considered a primary offense, but that could be changing with a new bill being considered by the Legislature. It is hard to say what kind of effect it would have, if any: the penalty would merely be $30 plus court costs; no points would be added to the driver’s record.
Currently, Florida law says texting by noncommercial drivers is a secondary offense - law enforcement officers must see another violation like speeding or an illegal lane change before they cite a driver for texting. The bill would make texting a primary offense. The fine for a first offense would remain $30 plus court costs and add no points to the driver’s record. Previous attempts have failed, but this bill has support from legislative leaders.
Currently, Florida law says texting by noncommercial drivers is a secondary offense - law enforcement officers must see another violation like speeding or an illegal lane change before they cite a driver for texting. The bill would make texting a primary offense. The fine for a first offense would remain $30 plus court costs and add no points to the driver’s record. Previous attempts have failed, but this bill has support from legislative leaders.