New Florida Law Banning Texting and Driving Law in Effect as of October 1, 2013

A new texting and driving law went into effect in the State of Florida as of October 1, 2013. The new law that was passed bans texting while driving as a secondary offense only.
A driver can only be cited for texting while driving, if he is stopped on another primary traffic offense in the state of Florida. The Florida senate passed the law with a 39-1 vote and in the House of Representatives, the bill passed 110-6. The new law will penalize drivers with a small fine of only 30$ in addition to court fees. If a driver violates the texting while driving a second time, his or her fees will be doubled.

Certain law makers are unhappy with this new law stating that it is too lenient and will not deter most drivers from texting while driving. Moreover, Senator Maria Sachs a Democrat from Delray Beach and other supporters of a stricter texting while driving law believe that such an infraction should be primary not secondary to another driving violation. It is believed that texting and driving is dangerous enough and that should speak for itself in terms of the new law. Efforts are already in action to improve the law and make it stricter over the next year.

Under no circumstances, should an individual be able to get away with causing bodily injury or even wrongful death to another person while texting at the wheel. Especially, if an accident can be avoided and a life can be saved, there is no place for legally texting and driving in the state of Florida.