TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Just days ahead of the Florida’s legislative session, there’s a new push to toughen the state’s rules when it comes to cellphones behind the wheel.
Sen. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, re-filed a bill that would make it illegal for drivers to hold their phones while on the road or even have them resting in their laps.
Under the proposal, a first violation brings a $150 fine. A second offense jumps to $250. A third violation would trigger a 90-day license suspension and a $500 fine.
A similar bill was filed last year and while it passed in the House, it never came up for a vote in the state Senate.
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.
[FLASHBACK VIDEO BELOW: Texting and driving law in Florida]