State Representative Emily Slosberg of Boca Raton, Florida has been pushing to make texting-while-driving a primary offense. As of now, Florida remains one of four states in the nation where texting-while-driving is only a secondary offense. That means that that law enforcement cannot pull a driver over for texting at the wheel.
“Currently, they can see a 17-year-old looking on Google Maps, texting, Snapchatting or Instagramming, and they cannot pull that driver over,” said Slosberg, D-Boca Raton. “Distracted driving fatalities and distracted driving injuries are increasing. This is preventable. Our law should be addressing this.”
The statistics support Slosberg’s claims. Deaths involving teenage motorists and texting have jumped from 18% in 2015 to nearly 30% today. Slosberg, who lost her twin sister in an accident with a driver distracted by texting, is very passionate to see this law come to fruition. For more on the story, look to the Orlando Sentinel.