A State Rep. wants to see stricter laws when it comes to texting and driving on Florida roads.
At a Boca Raton City Council meeting Tuesday, Rep. Emily Slosberg urged the Legislature to make texting while driving a primary offense.
Florida is one of four states where texting while driving is a secondary offense, meaning that law enforcement cannot pull over motorists for using their phone while behind the wheel.
Florida drivers can currently only be cited for texting while driving if they are stopped for other reasons such as speeding or failing to wear seat belts.
Changing texting while driving to a primary offense would allow police to pull over drivers simply for texting while driving.
Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in the nation.
In 2015, 2,333 people ages 16 - 19 were killed and 221,313 were treated in emergency departments for motor vehicle injuries, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Traffic fatalities in Florida increased nearly 18 percent in 2015, while teenage driver fatalities increased close to 30 percent.
Slosberg has fought ito make texting while driving a primary offense for drivers under 18 and in school zones, but the Legislature did not approve the bills.
The state rep. is now seeking local-government support to make texting while driving a primary offense.