Driving Change: Florida’s texting-while-driving law rarely enforced
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed made texting while driving primary traffic offense in 2019
Christopher Cann Of Fresh Take Florida News Service
Associated Press
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A Hillsborough County sheriff’s deputy was heading east on Interstate 4 in his red Dodge Charger on a brilliantly sunny afternoon in Florida when he saw him: A young driver behind the wheel of a Jeep texting on his phone.
The deputy, Donald Hess, didn’t hit his lights and siren right away. He watched over more than a mile while he pulled around both sides of the Jeep, he said, as the driver kept texting before he pulled him over on the I-4 shoulder. When the driver rolled down his window, the deputy waved away a cloud of smoke.
Floridaâs texting-while-driving law rarely enforced, data shows
By Christopher Cann and Fresh Take Florida news service
PublishedÂ
Texting and driving law takes effect
After handing out warnings for the past five months, drivers will now receive tickets if they are caught texting and driving.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - A Hillsborough County sheriff’s deputy was heading east on Interstate 4 in his red Dodge Charger on a brilliantly sunny afternoon in Florida when he saw him: A young driver behind the wheel of a Jeep texting on his phone.
The deputy, Donald Hess, didn’t hit his lights and siren right away. He watched over more than a mile while he pulled around both sides of the Jeep, he said, as the driver kept texting before he pulled him over on the I-4 shoulder. When the driver rolled down his window, the deputy waved away a cloud of smoke.
A Hillsborough County sheriff s deputy was heading east on Interstate 4 in his red Dodge Charger on a brilliantly sunny afternoon in Florida when he saw him: A young driver behind the wheel of a Jeep texting on his phone.
The deputy, Donald Hess, didn t hit his lights and siren right away. He watched over more than a mile while he pulled around both sides of the Jeep, he said, as the driver kept texting before he pulled him over on the I-4 shoulder. When the driver rolled down his window, the deputy waved away a cloud of smoke. How much weed have you all been smoking? the deputy said. The reason I stopped you is for you using your texting while you’re driving. His police body camera captured video from the stop as Hess mimicked texting with his left thumb.
Florida’s census of texting violations, published earlier this year, is missing tickets entirely from more than 20 of the state’s 67 sheriff’s departments and at least 56 of 155 municipal police departments.
This frame grab from police body cam video shows Hillsborough County sheriff s deputy Donald Hess gesturing to driver Antonio Sims Jr., 25, of Tampa during a traffic stop along Interstate 4 on Nov. 18, 2020. Hess ticketed Sims $113 for violating Florida s new texting-while-driving law, which is rarely enforced statewide.
A Hillsborough County sheriff s deputy was heading east on Interstate 4 in his red Dodge Charger on a brilliantly sunny afternoon in Florida when he saw him: A young driver behind the wheel of a Jeep texting on his phone.
The deputy, Donald Hess, didn t hit his lights and siren right away. He watched over more than a mile while he pulled around both sides of the Jeep, he said, as the driver kept texting before he pulled him over on the I-4 shoulder. When the driver rolled down his window, the deputy waved away a cloud of smoke.