BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A new ban on texting while driving takes effect in Florida on Monday.
- Texting while driving law goes into effect July 1
- First offense $30, second offense $60
- Indialantic police sergeant hopes the law reduces crashes
On July 1, it will be illegal to text while driving and considered a primary offense.
First offense will cost you $30 and the second offense $60.
Sergeant Michael Connor with the Indialantic Police Department says he's glad the law finally passed and is hoping it will reduce the number of fender-benders and crashes.
"It was frustrating that we couldn't stop them before and I was always amazed at the number of drivers I would pull up next to in a marked patrol car they were oblivious that I was ever there," Connor said.
But there's a grace period until January 2020. Law enforcement will still be able to pull drivers over to issue citations or warnings.
“January first all bets are off, we will start writing citations but if we see you texting and driving and pull you over for that offense and we find out you have a suspended license, so if you're texting while driving may lead to you inadvertently being charged with something else,” Sergeant Michael Connor says.
And starting October 1, wireless devices can only be used hands-free in school zones, crosswalks and work zones. If you're caught on your cell phone, you could get pulled over.
Angelica Garcia Torres will soon be getting behind the wheel with her learners permit and she says getting kids to put down their phones will take some adjusting.
“It will take a while because we've gotten so used to it but now we have to go back and think about the times when we didn't have phones, everything at our finger tips so it might take a bit,” Garcia Torres said.
Garcia Torres says she's in favor of this new law, although it will take some time for drivers to adjust, she thinks it will be a good thing in the long run.
“It's important because some kids hear the rules and they don't really care and once they do get in trouble they will learn from the consequences,” Garcia Torres said.
According to House Bill 107, the ban doesn't apply to drivers using their phones as GPS.
Also when a law enforcement officer issues a citation they must record the race and ethnicity of the driver getting the citations.