Bill aims to make Florida hands-free driving state

Texting and driving in Florida is already illegal, but now a new bill would take it one step further.

Senate Bill 1318 would make it illegal to have your phone in your hand while driving in Florida, no matter what you’re doing.

The bill is called “hands-free driving,” and it is being brought forth by Republican Senator Erin Grall.

Currently, Florida only requires you to be hands-free at school and construction zones, and it’s also not legal to text or email while driving. But SB 1318 would make this a requirement on all roads.

“Right now, you can hold your phone to enter an address into GPS,” said Michelle Avola-Brown, executive director of the Naples Pathways Coalition. “Well, if you don’t have to prove to law enforcement what you were doing, again, that’s what what makes it unenforceable. So this is really going to have a huge impact on safety.”

She added: “People are going to need to get used to not doing that type of multi-tasking while they’re in the driver’s seat.”

The only exception to SB 1318 is if your car is parked, which means red lights are a no-go for phone usage too.

The bill is on the agenda for Wednesday’s Senate transportation committee meeting, and Michelle Avola-Brown is making the trip to Tallahassee to testify.

Avola-Brown is chair of Hands-Free Florida, the coalition pushing for this bill.

“Last year, we were fortunate that we got unanimously through all three House committees,” explained Avola-Brown. “But it stopped in the Senate. They did not hear it. So the fact that we’re already starting in the Senate is super exciting. We feel that this is going to be the year.”

A crash occurs every 44 seconds in the Sunshine State, and one in seven of those crashes is caused by distracted driving.

“When a distracted driver hits another car, it might be catastrophic. It might be a fender bender,” explained Avola-Brown. “But with Naples Pathways Coalition, my job is to advocate for the safety of people who are biking and walking, and when a distracted driver hits us, we’re not going home to our family.”

That’s a big reason why many southwest Floridians agree a hands-free law is long overdue.

“People are not paying attention,” said Fran Mangino, a Naples resident. “You know, nothing is that important that it’s worth willing to chance your life over or someone else’s, and then you have to live with that.”

If the bill becomes a law, Florida would join 31 states that already do this, like Massachusetts. 

“We have a hands-free law,” said Paul Beeley, who is visiting from Massachusetts. “You cannot have anything in your hand and be looking at it while you’re driving. It has to be something stationary, and they can pull you over and give you a ticket for it. “

It’s something which another visiting Boston native named Chloe told WINK News helps.

“I think it definitely helps, especially at like, red lights,” shared Chloe. “I mean, not having your phone in your hand, you’re paying attention, you’re seeing where people are going.”

And in the meantime, Mangino shared this advice: “Pay attention. Put the freaking phone down for a minute!”

If you’re interested in learning more about the petition to make Florida a hands-free state, click here.