Avoid a ticket, crash, or worse – don’t text and drive

As of today, a warning to Historic City News readers that “texting and driving” is no longer legal in Florida; according to an alert from Julie L Jones, Executive Director of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Florida is the 41st state to ban texting while driving. The new law, that took effect at midnight, makes texting while driving a secondary offense — meaning the driver must first have committed a primary offense such as reckless or careless driving, speeding or failing to wear a seat belt in order to be pulled over and cited.

“Enforcing and educating all drivers about the dangers of texting while driving is important,” said Col. David Brierton, director of the Florida Highway Patrol. “There are three things to remember to keep you safe while driving: keep your hands on the wheel, your eyes on the road and your mind on driving.”

How much of a distraction can texting be to a driver?

Sending or receiving a text distracts a driver for an average of nearly five seconds. Traveling at a speed of 55 miles per hour, that’s the equivalent of driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.

“Teenagers are particularly vulnerable to distracted driving crashes due to their lack of experience behind the wheel,” Director Jones told reporters. “Teens have the highest crash rate of any age group with more than 22,000 teen drivers involved in crashes last year and 41 of them killed.”

The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the Florida Highway Patrol, working with safety and law enforcement partners across the state, are using this day to make motorists aware of the new law and to educate drivers on the dangers of distracted driving.