For Part 2 of our Florida Driving Update series, Legally Pink Law presents updates on Florida’s new ban on texting while driving. While changes in texting laws are slow to affect individual drivers, commercial truck drivers now face new penalties for texting.
The ban deals only with written texts (typing or reading emails, texts, or instant messages) and voice-activated programs like Siri do not constitute a violation of the law. The biggest change is that texting is now a primary offense, which means commercial drivers can be pulled over specifically for suspicion of texting. The fines add up quickly. On a third violation, truckers would have to pay $2,750 and face a 120-day license suspension, while the sponsoring company could face fines up to $11,000.
Current Florida law still allows individual non-commerical motorists to be fined for texting while driving, but only for $30 and only as a secondary offense. Florida law does not ban the use of mobile phones or mobile maps while driving.
If you have been injured as a result of someone not obeying Florida traffic law, contact Legally Pink Law today. We are your Orlando auto accident attorney dedicated to recovering your losses through thorough representation. Call us today!