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Fla. governor gets texting bill

May 2, 2013 by Leave a Comment
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In a first for Florida, a distracted driving bill has emerged from the Legislature. The state Senate gave final approval Thursday to a plan that would outlaw text messaging while driving in Florida. (Update: The bill signing is set for May 28. The law will go into effect Oct. 1.) The bill, however, calls for secondary enforcement, preventing police from issuing tickets unless another offense is observed, such as weaving or missing a stop sign. It does not address cell phones. Interviewed Monday, Gov. Rick Scott dodged the direct question of whether he would sign the texting bill: "Well as a parent, and now a grandparent, you worry about people texting and driving," Scott told … [Read more...]

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In Florida, more texting law drama

November 16, 2012 by 1 Comment

Florida supporters of a text-messaging law head into the new legislative session with hopes for change in the capital city of Tallahassee, but early signals are mixed. A four-time sponsor of texting legislation says "some of my major stumbling blocks" have left the Legislature. But the incoming speaker of the House, Will Weatherford (left), issued a statement this week that appears to support the "individual rights" of drivers to text message. The Republican leader's comments came as the first Florida Distracted Driving Summit brought to Tampa more than 270 government officials, safety advocates and law enforcement officers. U.S. Transportation chief Ray LaHood, the Nov. 13 event's … [Read more...]

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N.Y. texting law no turkey

December 2, 2011 by 1 Comment

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's state police feasted on text-messaging violations over the Thanksgiving holiday, handing out 816 tickets. "The more than 800 tickets issued in just five days further demonstrates the need for these stricter laws which focus on drivers who put others at risk by illegally using a hand-held device," the New York governor said after the ticket tally. The statewide distracted driving sweep "Operation Hang-Up" ran Nov. 23-27. State Police said about 330 of the texting tickets came as a result of that crackdown. The other ticketing came via regular enforcement of the state's texting and cell phone use laws, which yields about 1,000 tickets a month. Cuomo targeted distracted … [Read more...]

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Election hot button: distracted driving

September 11, 2010 by 2 Comments

Distracted driving has yet to emerge as an election issue in the U.S., but it's making news on the campaign trail in Canada's New Brunswick province. The current Liberal government has come under fire once again for its foot-dragging in enacting specific distracted driving laws. New Brunswick remains one of two Canadian provinces without laws against text messaging while driving. Political Conservatives have said several times during their campaign for the fall election that they’ll promptly enact distracted driving legislation if victorious in the fall. The issue hit the front burner Sept. 6 with the death of a young man on the Trans-Canada Highway. The driver was sending a text … [Read more...]

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