New Year New Laws-The Orlando Times
New Year Brings Along New Laws To Florida
A driver uses cellphone behind the wheel. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, file)
COMPILED BY JALESSA CASTILLO, TIMES STAFF WRITER
FLORIDA - As the new decade arrives, it is bringing new legislation to the state of Florida. These changes that will being in 2020 can have a big impact on people in the state, with the biggest being the crackdown on texting and driving.
In Florida, texting while driving is now a primary offense. Starting Wednesday, the Florida Highway Patrol will join other law enforcement agencies in writing tickets for the offense.
Each day in the U.S., nine people are killed and 1,153 people are injured in crashes that involve a distracted driver, reported the CDC.
In response, on Friday May 17, Florida Gov. Ron De Santis signed House Bill 107 which made texting while driving in Florida a primary traffic offense punishable by fines. The bill originally passed the Florida House by a vote of 108 - 7.
"There's going to always be education going on, however now it's going to be enforcement time," Lt. Derrick Rahming of the highway patrol told the Tampa Bay Times. "We never want anyone to learn the hard way, so we gave everyone six months to learn about this law. But, now come Jan. 1, it's a primary offense and we are going to start issuing citations."
Previously, officers could only cite drivers for texting if they are pulled over for another violation. Florida will become one of the last states to make texting while driving a primary traffic offense.
"There have been too many families impacted by the dangers of texting and driving," said Tampa Rep. Jackie Toledo, according to Patch. "Whether we are drivers, passengers, students on the way to school, construction workers on the road or law enforcement, this law protects us all."
The first offense is punishable by a $30 fine, for a second violation within five years the fine is $60. Court costs and fees also apply, making the cost possibly inflate to about $100-$150. Additionally, three points can be added to the driver's license.
"Using a cell phone is a dangerous distraction for drivers," Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan told Patch. "There has never been a text message sent or received that is important enough to endanger an innocent life."
According to the Tampa Bay Times, highway patrol troopers have issued about 800 warnings.
"I think it's right around where it needs to be," Lt. Rahming told them. "Throughout the state, we've had 1,151 citations issued (by all law enforcement) since the law started in July."
Because of concerns the law could lead to racial profiling, officers are required to record the race and ethnicity of every violator.
The new law will also ban the use of any handheld wireless communications devices in school and construction zones.
"Studies have shown that texting while driving is one of the worst of all driving distractions and a recent study ranked Florida as the second worst state for distracted driving," DeSantis told The AP. "It's my hope that by taking action to address distracted drivers today, that we will be able to make our roads safer and hopefully prevent some of these crashes that we've seen, injuries and, unfortunately, some of the deaths that we've seen."
In fact, according to Arlington Toyota, the top distractions for drivers are: 1) Generally distracted or "lost in thought" 2) Cell phone use 3) Outside person, object or event 4) Other occupants.
The texting ban does not apply to a driver using a navigation device or system or to a driver whose vehicle is stationary.
The New Year will usher in other changes as well:
A new law in the United States that prohibits the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21.
A part of an $87 million tax relief package, a sales-tax rate on commercial leases will be trimmed from 5.7 percent to 5.5 percent. The reduction is expected produce a $30.8 million cut in state and local taxes in the remaining six months of the fiscal year. Over a full year, the savings are estimated at $64.5 million.
The state's minimum wage will increase from $8.46 to $8.56 an hour, with a minimum wage of at least $5.54 an hour for tipped employees. Voters will have the chance to increase it to $15 in November's election.
A new law requiring health care practitioners to transmit prescriptions electronically, with certain exceptions. The purpose of the bill is to allow for better tracking of prescription drugs and consistency in their processing.
A new law allowing remote, online notarization of documents. It is a process whereby a signer and a notary public use audio and video communication to notarize the signer's electronic signature on electronic documents.
A new law establishing the Honor and Remember Flag, which will honor members of the military who have died in the line of duty. The law authorizes the flag to be flown at state buildings and by local governments on Veterans Day, Gold Star Mother's Day or any day when a member of the military from Florida dies in the line of duty.
These new laws are sure to impact the daily lives of many Floridians. Nevertheless, many see them as positive changes as the New Year and decade commence.
"It is almost impossible to enforce texting while driving as a secondary offense," said Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells, as reported by The AP. "Making texting while driving a primary offense will allow law enforcement to enforce the law and to save a lot of lives."