ORLANDO, Fla. – Thirty states across the country have a hands-free law while driving in all places. Florida does not.
In those 30 states (besides Alabama and Missouri) that have hands-free laws in place, officers can cite a person for having and using a phone in their hands while driving, according to the data collected by the Governors of Highway Safety Association. (GHSA)
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While News 6 and advocates look to enact a hands-free driving law in Florida, let’s take a look at what distracted driving laws are in place here.
Florida law currently states that a driver cannot use a ‘wireless device in a handheld manner’ in a school or active construction zone.
The Sunshine State also has a law making texting while driving a primary offense, which means an officer can pull over the driver and issue a citation. News 6 and a team of advocates spent nearly three years to lead the charge to make this a law. It was officially signed in 2019.
Meanwhile, around the U.S. every state besides Montana has a similar texting-while-driving ban in place, according to data collected by the GHSA.
On the other hand, no state in the U.S. bans all phone use for all drivers, but some have some exceptions.
For example, 25 states such as California, Delaware, and Georgia have a cell phone use ban on school bus drivers. To add on, 36 states have a ban on young or new drivers using cell phones while driving, according to GHSA data.
Florida does not have either of these laws – but the Sunshine State does prohibit local jurisdictions from starting their own distracted driving ban, per the GHSA data.
To learn more about Florida’s distracted driving laws in place click here.
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