Starting on Tuesday, Oct. 1, texting and driving will no longer be something that is frowned upon, but instead against will be against the law.
Florida’s texting while driving ban was signed into law by Governor Rick Scott earlier this year. Florida will be joining 40 other states in the ban of texting while driving.
The bill (SB 52) bans manual texting only while the vehicle is moving, but it allows drivers stopped at traffic lights or stopped in traffic to text on their cell phones. It will be labeled a secondary offense, meaning that the driver would have to be pulled over for another offense in order to receive a ticket for texting while driving. The ticket will be $30 plus any courts costs associated for first offenders, the price doubles to $60 for second time offenders.
For those who use talk-to-text or GPS navigation on their phones can continue to do so without any repercussions.
