On Tuesday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed a ban on texting while driving into law starting on Oct. 1. The ban, which isn’t extremely severe, attempts to crack down on the controversial topic that many claim are putting lives in danger.
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.
Drivers will still be able to use their phones for things such as talk-to-text devices, GPS navigation, and listening to the radio on their cell phones.
“The 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day are known as the deadliest days on the road for teenagers. We must do everything we can at the state level to keep our teenagers and everyone on our roads safe. I cannot think of a better time to officially sign this bill into law,” Scott said in a statement as he signed the bill into law at Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Senior high school.
