Second phase of texting and driving crackdown begins Tuesday

Reporter: Nicole Lauren
Published: Updated:
FILE – In this May 31, 2013 file photo, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a news conference to announce the increase in penalties for texting while driving in New York. New York state is set to study the use of a device known as the “textalyzer” that would allow police to determine whether a motorist involved in a serious crash was texting while driving. Cuomo announced Wednesday, July 26, 2017, that he would direct the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee to examine the technology, as well as the privacy and constitutional questions it could raise. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)

As of midnight on Tuesday, texting and driving laws got even tougher if you are caught using your phone behind the wheel in certain areas.

Police are taking their enforcement up a notch and telling drivers they need to put the phone down in a school or work zone, or you will get pulled over.

“Oh my gosh you could just run right over them it takes seconds just seconds and they’re gone you know life is too too short for that,” Cape Coral resident, Susan Greyson said.

Since the texting and driving law was enacted in July until early September, Florida Highway Patrol has pulled over close to 550 people for distracted driving.

Police are now happy the second part of the law has gone into effect in hopes that drivers will keep focused on the road in areas where people walk around often, like school zones.

Cape Coral police say on top of using cell phones, drivers are also notorious for speeding in these areas, and both can be a deadly combination.

“School zones are very important…kids do not follow the rules all the time like an adult would, kids are running between cars to get to school blah blah blah… obviously if you’re holding your phone and not paying attention to your vehicle movement, even at a slower speed you still won’t have that reaction time and we don’t want any kids to get hit or hurt,” Master Sgt. Bran Chenault of Cape Coral police said.

As of now you will only be given a warning if you’re holding your phone in these zones but starting in January they will be ticketing for it.

As far as texting and driving, Cape police say you can get hit with a ticket for $160 if you are caught.

 

 

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.