TALLAHASSEE, FLA. (WSVN) - Florida drivers may want to put “stop texting while driving” at the top of their New Year’s Resolutions list.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers and other law enforcement agencies will be cracking down on texting while driving and will begin citing drivers starting Wednesday, Jan. 1.
The crackdown on drivers texting behind the wheel stems from a new law Gov. Ron DeSantis signed in May that rendered texting while driving a primary offense.
The texting and driving law went into effect in July in phases. During the first phase, officers would only issue warnings.
Then, in October, a ban went into effect on holding a phone while driving through a school or work zone.
Now, officers will begin issuing tickets.
The first ticket for texting behind the wheel is attached with a $30 fine plus court costs. If a second violation occurs within five years, the fine doubles to $60 and court costs increase to over $150. Violators will also have points added to their license.
Florida has banned texting while driving in recent years, but authorities enforced it as a secondary offense. As such, officers could only cite drivers for texting if they had pulled them over for other reasons, such as speeding.
However, the new law has classified texting while driving as a primary offense, allowing officers to pull drivers over for texting.
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