Texting while driving is officially illegal in Florida as of July 1st, 2019. Law enforcement can now pull you over and write you a citation for a non-moving violation whereas in the past it was only considered a secondary offense under Florida law.
According to the Florida Statute 316.305. a person may not operate a motor vehicle while manually typing or entering multiple letters, numbers, symbols or other characters into a wireless communication device and may also not read any data of a device.
This law is to increase awareness and create consciousness of the dangers of texting while driving. This law is to increase awareness and create consciousness of the dangers of texting while driving. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles found more than 170 crashes were caused by people who were texting and driving in 2018.
There are some exceptions to the Text and Drive Law and these are:
- The law applies only when your car is in motion. If your car is stopped, law enforcement can’t give you a fine.
- The law does not apply if you’re using your phone for GPS navigation, or to check safety alerts like weather or traffic.
- The law does not apply if you’re using your phone to call the police, reporting an emergency or just making a phone call.
When driving in school or construction zones, it’s recommended you refrain from using your phone at all or use a hands-free device.
If you get a citation for texting while driving, please contact us. Our consultations are free of cost!
Citation Nation
Sources:
https://www.wlrn.org/post/heres-what-florida-drivers-need-know-about-new-texting-ban
https://www.wfla.com/news/local-news/floridas-texting-while-driving-law-starts-july-1st/