McGuire Law Offices Serving Clearwater, Pinellas County and Tampa Bay Florida

Pinellas County divorce, bankruptcy, personal injury and criminal law

  • Home
  • Attorney Profiles
    • John F. McGuire Esquire
    • Gino A. Megna, Esquire
    • Larry C. Hoffman, Esquire
  • Practice Areas
    • Personal Injury Cases
    • Family Law
      • Restrictions on Relocation
      • Domestic Violence
      • Child Custody
      • Prenuptial
      • Annulment
      • Contempt
      • Alimony
      • Divorce
      • Attorney Fees
    • Criminal Law
      • DUI
      • Felony of all types including capital crimes
      • Misdemeanors
      • Expunging
    • Traffic Tickets
      • Fix Your Traffic Ticket for $69
    • Estate Planning
    • Bankruptcy
  • Support Our Troops
  • Directions
  • Legal Opinionator
  • Contact
  • T
  • FB
You are here: Home / Car Accident / Florida Legislature Approves Stricter Texting While Driving Bill

Florida Legislature Approves Stricter Texting While Driving Bill

May 9, 2019 By John F. McGuire

After years of wrangling, the Florida Legislature sent a stricter bill to Gov. DeSantis for signature.  If Governor DeSantis signs the bill, it will take effect on July 1, 2019.

The bill affects Florida drivers in two significant ways: 1)texting while driving becomes a primary offense which means a police officer can stop a vehicle once the officer spots a driver using a mobile device to text, email or chat.  Hands free use of a cell phone remains legal.  2)It more broadly bans any use of a handheld cell phone while operating a motor vehicle in a designated school crossing or school zone or a road work zone.

The penalties remain the same: a noncriminal traffic infraction that carries a $30 base fine plus court costs and fees for a first violation; a second violation within five years after that is considered a moving violation carrying a $60 base fine plus court costs and fees. Drivers caught texting will also be dinged 3 points against their licenses.

Texting at a stoplight or while a vehicle is stationary is not an offense. Emergency personnel are exempted, as are people reporting an emergency or criminal activity to police and those receiving messages related to the navigation or operation of their vehicle or safety-related information such as emergency traffic or weather alerts.

If the legislation becomes law, Florida joins 44 other states to make texting while driving a primary offense.

While most people approve of the new law, some law enforcement officers say that enforcement will be difficult.  They are not allowed to seize the phone or device without a warrant.

AAA research shows people who text and driver are eight times more likely to be involved in a crash. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reported more than 51,000 crashes involving distracted drivers statewide last year. The number of traffic fatalities in Florida has topped 3,000 each year since 2016, a statistic some law-enforcement officials say is due in part to distracted driving. Mark Jenkins, a spokesman for AAA, said: “When driving without seat belts became a primary violation, more people began wearing seat belts. We’re hoping as a result of this law, fewer drivers will text.”

Past Commentary

  • Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco’s Dirty Little Secret
  • Are We Safe from Police Searches and Seizures?
  • Judge Says Man Too Old to Kill Again, Guess What Old Man Does?
  • Largest Opioid Settlement Ever Paid by British Firm
  • You’re Not Paranoid, You Are Being Watched
  • Face App Has Gone Viral But What About Your Privacy
  • Cops Gone Bad
  • Florida ER Doc Says He Sees More Patients Because of Distracted Driving than DUI
  • Those Who Cannot Remember the Past are Condemned to Repeat It
  • Insurance Companies Control Your Healthcare not Doctors
  • 4th of July and DUI
  • PTSD and our Vets
  • We Build Wider Roads with Ample Bicycle Lanes, They Still Die
  • The Devil Made Me Do It?
  • Illinois Latest State to Legalize Marijuana. . . But There’s More
  • In a Huge Win for Law Enforcement, Supremes Say Police Can Take Blood from Unconscious DUI Suspects
  • Abused Woman Takes Guns from Former Husband’s Home Faces Grand Theft Charges
  • VA Wants Proof Before Helping Vets Who Suffered Sexual Abuse
  • Sarasota Sheriff Believes New Texting While Driving Law is Unenforceable
  • Driving While High-DUI and Marijuana Use
  • I Got a DUI but I Didn’t Feel Drunk
  • Character Evidence, Prior Bad Acts, and the Justice System
  • Medical Marijuana is Legal in Florida But Smoking it May Keep you from Getting a Job
  • How Domestic Violence Affects a Divorce Case in Florida
  • Pill Sharing is Illegal and Dangerous
  • Pasco County Jail Has a Drug Problem
  • Stand Your Ground Doesn’t Hold Water with Tampa Judge
  • Can Heat of Passion Be Used as a Defense?
  • The Devil Made Me Do It
  • Florida Alimony Reform Will Have to Wait Until Next Year
  • Military Vets in a Catch-22 Over Marijuana Use and Employment
  • Florida Governor Bans Child-Like Sex Dolls
  • Eighth Amendment Another Constitutional Protection
  • More Rights Afforded to Alleged Criminals and Why That’s Important
  • Plea Deals Endangers Privileges of 6th Amendment

More Opinionator by John McGuire Esq.

Search

We are located in Clearwater, Florida

Click

John McGuire Law Offices
1173 N.E. Cleveland Street
Clearwater, FL 33755

Phone: 727-446-7659
FAX: 727-446-0905

Get Directions

Contact us for a complementary consultation

Click to contact us

Contact Us

Support Our Troops

Click to contact us

How you can help

Million Dollar Advocates Forum

Copyright © 2019 · McGuire Law Offices · Log in
Disclaimer