Traffic Laws with Driving While on Your Cellphone
In the state of Florida, there are some of the highest and most terrible traffic and accident statistics across the country. And with so many young and so many over the hill drivers, much of this seems to be simply a fact of life. However, according to Mr. Charles Spinner, the top personal injury lawyer San Antonio FL has to offer, Florida’s actual traffic cell phone and their confusing nature, is actually one of the main issues that has led to such awful issues. To learn more about how the state of Florida handles its cell phone use while driving issues, the top Personal Injury Lawyer San Antonio FL has in practice, Mr. Charles Spinner offers us this important information to know.
As we previously stated, the state of Florida is one of the most confusing and frankly, worrisome states when it comes to traffic issues and driving while texting. In fact, according to the top personal injury lawyer San Antonio FL has practicing, Mr. Spinner, only texting is technically illegal, those who are talking on a cell phone are not currently in violation of any laws. in the year 2013, the Florida Ban on Texting While Driving Law was put in place, stating thata driver cannot operate a motor vehicle while “manually typing or entering multiple letters, numbers, symbols, or other characters into a wireless communications device.” The law goes on to specify that drivers cannot send or read data related to texting, email, or instant messaging. While this does much to help stifle the constant traffic and the shear number of distracted drivers on the roads in Florida, according to the top personal injury attorney San Antonio FL has to offer, Mr. Spinner, it has still led many distracted drivers across the state to make major mistakes on the road. In fact, this law actually also takes into account many instances in which there are certain exceptions to the law, they include:
· Drivers can text when they are stopped at a traffic light or stuck stopped in traffic.
· Drivers can text in the event when they need to report an emergency, some traffic or weather information.
· Or when they are using their cell phone for the purposes of a GPS.
As we previously mentioned, according to the top Personal Injury Attorney Ruskin has to offer, Mr, Charles Spinner, law enforcement cannot pull over a vehicle solely because the driver is using his or her cell phone, because texting is still only technically a secondary offense. In fact, the problem is that the state of Florida doesn’t really punish individuals very much for using their cellphones whilst on the road -leading to countless accidents and constant distracted drivers on the road. According to the top personal injury attorney Ruskin has in practice, Mr. Spinner, the violations are roughly a slap on the wrist, compared to other states like New York or in California. A driver’s first citation for texting and driving includes a $30 fine. The second and subsequent offenses cost drivers $60. Texting in a school zone increases the fines, and those who may cause serious accidents might be issued a reckless driving citation for texting.
License Issues
One thing that’s important to understand however, is that there are certain issues that may affect your license in the state of Florida, and like other states this has been somewhat of a good deterrent to cellphone use. However, according to the top personal injury attorney Ruskin has to offer, Mr., Charles Spinner, it is rarely as enforced as it is in other states, and it takes a while to get to the point to which these issues will affect your license and possibly have your driving privileges suspended. As with other states, they work on a point system in Florida. When law enforcement issues a ticket to a driver, the points for a particular ticket are added to that person’s license if he or she pays the ticket without contesting the ticket in court. Points are calculated on the date a driver received the ticket. The points go as follows:
· 12 points within 1 year = 30-day suspension
· 18 points within 1 year = 90-day suspension
· 24 points within 26 months = 1-year suspension
This is actually fairly lax compared to other states. For more information on cellphone use while driving or other personal injury issues, contact SPINNER LAW FIRM today.
