Florida has banned texting while driving by passing a law against it that goes into effect October 1, 2013.
Florida became the 41st state to officially ban texting while driving. The law comes into effect from Tuesday, October 1. Governor Rick Scott signed the law in May.
Effective today, the law prevents drivers from texting or emailing while the vehicle is in motion, however, it is still legal to text at a red signal, in a traffic jam or to report criminal activity.
The ban on texting while driving is a secondary offence. This means police officials cannot stop a driver for texting, in fact the driver must be first caught in any other offense such as over speeding, a seatbelt violation, or running a red light.
"This is a good first step," said Walton County Sheriff Mike Adkinson. "I would like to see it be a primary stop ... When you make the decision to text and drive, you're not just endangering yourself. There's such a small margin of error there so we will be very proactive with it."
Drivers caught in the act will be fined $30 for a first time offense. A second time offense within five years attracts a $60 fine in addition to 3 points to the driver's license.
"You can still put in GPS coordinates. You can still make phone calls. You can still change your music, but don't be caught texting and driving," Sen. Jeff Brandes, (R) St. Petersburg, said in a statement.
Texting while driving has drawn nationwide attention of late. U.S. network carriers such as AT&T and others started the "It Can Wait" campaign to bring awareness among people about the risks involved in texting while driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a driver indulged in texting while the vehicle is in motion is six times more likely to crash compared to driving while intoxicated. More than 1.6 million accidents a year are a result of distracted driving.
This is an alarming number that requires adults and youngsters to make conscious efforts to prevent texting while driving.
