A bill that would make distracted driving a primary offense is set to go in front of its first state senate committee Tuesday.
Palm Beach State Rep. Emily Slosberg says it's not about trapping drivers who use phones as safety devices.
The bill would make texting while driving a primary offense in Florida. The bill would also double penalties for texting while driving in a school zone or crossing.
"Our laws shouldn’t force police officers to wait for tragedies to happen if they can act to prevent them on the front end,”said Rep. Slosberg.
In 2016, there were an estimated 50,000 crashes due to distracted driving. These accounted for more than 3,500 serious injuries and 233 deaths.
Along with the Sunshine State, drivers in Nebraska, Ohio, and South Dakota can legally text and drive without being pulled over and ticketed.
Currently in Florida, texting while driving is a secondary offense, meaning police need a reason, like speeding or a broken taillight, to cite drivers for texting.