Holding your cell phone while driving in Florida could soon be illegal, as a Senate committee has advanced a hands-free driving bill. Florida already bans texting while driving, but with the increasing functionality of mobile devices, lawmakers are pushing to restrict all handheld phone use behind the wheel.
The urgency for this measure is underscored by alarming statistics. The Florida Division of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reported nearly 300 fatalities from distracted driving crashes in 2023 alone. Advocates argue that distracted driving has become a modern epidemic, endangering lives across the state.
A key voice in the push for change is Demetrius Branca, who lost his son Anthony to a distracted driver in Tallahassee a decade ago. Since then, he has been advocating for stricter laws. “I’m trying to take that grief and that pain and use it to honor my son,” Branca said.
Currently, Florida prohibits holding a phone while driving in designated school and work zones. The proposed legislation would extend that restriction to all roadways statewide and introduce stricter penalties for violators. Supporters cite a study from the Governor’s Highway Safety Association, which found that hands-free laws in other states have contributed to a decrease in traffic fatalities.
Michelle Avola-Brown, chair of Hands-Free Florida, emphasized the importance of this bill, stating, “It’s not necessary that we are so engrossed in our phones that we can’t focus when we’re driving. We’re driving an 8,000 to 10,000-pound weapon and think we can multitask.”
Senators on the Transportation Committee have expressed their support for the bill, with plans to push it forward to Governor Ron DeSantis’ desk later this year. If enacted, Florida will join 31 other states that have already implemented hands-free driving laws.
Branca remains hopeful that, after years of advocating for this change, Florida will take decisive action to make the roads safer. “I’m tired of it. We’ve got to do something,” he said.
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