TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (The News Service of Florida) - The Florida House approved a measure that would allow law-enforcement officers to pull over drivers for texting while driving, despite concerns that the bill could increase instances of racial profiling.
The House voted 112-to-2 in support of the proposal which would make texting while driving a "primary" traffic offense, allowing officers to pull over motorists for texting. It currently is a "secondary" offense, which means police can only write tickets for texting while driving when they stop drivers for other reasons, such as speeding.
Bill co-sponsor Emily Slosberg, whose twin sister, Dori, died in a car accident 22 years ago, says the change is needed.
"It will allow law enforcement to pull them over, because currently law enforcement doesn't have the power to pull them over," said Slosberg. "They have to wait for that 16-year-old driver to hit somebody, or run a red light, or kill somebody."
To try to address concerns about racial profiling by police, the House and Senate versions require law-enforcement officers to record the race and ethnicity of each person pulled over for texting while driving.
