We’ve seen it before throughout South Florida – people texting while driving and causing crashes. Florida lawmakers are once again working to put a stop to this during the upcoming session.
Sen. Rene Garcia (R-Hialeah) is proposing Senate Bill 144 to a committee Tuesday - a law that could change texting and driving to a primary offense for drivers under the age of 18.
Currently, it’s a secondary offense for all drivers as law enforcement now can only issue you a texting while driving ticket if you’re pulled over for doing something else illegal – but this proposal could change that.
"I'm actually a really big advocate for not texting and driving Because a lot of my friends text and drive and I think it's super dangerous," said teen driver Sarah Savir.
Another proposed bill would make it a primary offense in Florida to text while driving in a school zone.
"South Florida, put it down," said Tri-County Driving School instructor Luis Acosta. "It's time to put it down. We as parents, driving instructors, and professional want to make sure our kids are safe on the roads."
In 2015, the Florida Highway Patrol reported more than 4,400 distracted driving crashes in Miami-Dade County and over 3,700 in Broward. All but five states have primary enforcement of the rule.
