Distracted driving bill moves forward in Florida legislature

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Drivers in Florida may soon face new restrictions on phone usage while behind the wheel.

A bill moving through the state legislature aims to make it illegal to hold a phone for any reason while driving.

Currently, texting while driving is prohibited, but holding a phone remains legal.

This proposed legislation has received unanimous support from the transportation committee and is now headed to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

It still has a journey ahead before potentially becoming law.

Steve Kiefer, who lost his son Mitchel Kiefer in 2016 to a distracted driver in Michigan, supports this bill wholeheartedly.

“It’s crazy to me that there could be some partisan behavior on this,” said Kiefer. “If you don’t like this as the tool, then what is your idea? Because just letting 3,300 people die in Florida again next year, I mean, that’s not acceptable.”

Kiefer founded the Kiefer Foundation in his son’s memory, dedicated to ending distracted driving. He is on a mission to pass hands-free laws across all 50 states.

If the bill passes and Gov. Ron DeSantis signs it, Florida would join 31 other states with similar hands-free laws.

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