In Support of a No-Texting While Driving Bill...

The following Letter to the Editor was published in both the Sarasota Herald Tribune and Bradenton Herald:

I applaud Nancy Detert for her action in submitting (once again!) a no texting while driving bill in the Florida legislature.  Florida is one of only seven states not to have enacted some sort of texting while driving ban. Why is Florida so far behind the curve?  

I understand some of our legislators are opposed to efforts to ban texting while driving because it infringes on a person’s right to do what they wish without governmental interference.  I’m sorry, but my right to feel safe while driving on Florida roadways trumps another’s right to text and possibly injure or kill me because they are not paying attention to their main job behind the wheel.  We ban drinking alcoholic beverages while driving.  Is a ban on texting while driving any different?  Both carry with them the possibility of injuring or killing an innocent person.

I really don’t like the fact that Ms. Detert has had to water down her bill from those previously submitted by making texting while driving a secondary offense.  In other words, a texter must first be stopped for a moving violation before he or she can be cited for texting while driving.  But, then, half a loaf is better than none.

Let’s make sure to contact our elected senators and representatives and let them know that we support the efforts to ban texting while driving and that such a ban should be a primary offense.

 

Dave Hilsheimer

Bradenton