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Florida's texting-while-driving law rarely enforced, data shows

Florida also failed its requirements under the law to track comprehensively how many drivers are ticketed statewide and whether police are targeting minorities.
Credit: Mingmei Li/Fresh Take Florida via AP
Vehicles travel along SW 13th Street, as seen through the Helix Bridge in Gainesville, Fla., on Friday, Feb. 19, 2021 in Gainesville, Fla. A new law in 2019 made texting while driving a primary traffic offense in Florida, with a $30 fine for a first offense that routinely climbs to over $100. But the new law against texting is rarely enforced, according to official state figures. Florida also has failed its requirements under the law to track comprehensively how many drivers are ticketed statewide – and whether police are targeting minorities. (Mingmei Li/Fresh Take Florida via AP)

TAMPA, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new law in 2019 making texting while driving a primary traffic offense in Florida, with a $30 fine for a first offense that routinely climbs to over $100. 

But the new law against texting is rarely enforced, according to official state figures.

Florida has failed its requirements under the law to track comprehensively how many drivers are ticketed statewide and whether police are targeting minority populations.

Those in charge of writing tickets also complained that the young law has too many loopholes.

Florida's report of texting violations is missing tickets from more than 20 of the state's 67 sheriff's departments and at least 56 of 155 municipal police departments, according to Fresh Take Florida

Out of the more than 15 million registered drivers in Florida, only 3,174 citations were given by law enforcement, the outlet reported. 

According to the state, 299 people were killed by distracted-driving-related crashes and 2,747 people seriously hurt in crashes caused by distracted driving in 2020. And, last year saw 48,488 total crashes listed as caused by distracted driving. 

The new law does require authorities to record the race and ethnicity of each driver ticketed. However, Fresh Take Florida points out that the lack of reporting from all counties across the state makes it "impossible" to reliably determine if minority drivers are targeted under the law. 

The Florida ACLU reports Black drivers in 2014 were pulled over for seatbelt violations nearly twice as often statewide and up to four times as often in certain counties compared to white drivers. 

The texting-while-driving ban does not apply to drivers who are using cell phones to report an emergency or criminal activity to authorities, listen to the radio, or for navigation. 

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