Texting While Driving Officially Against the Law

Put down your phone: As of Tuesday, texting while driving is officially illegal in the Sunshine State.

Last May, Gov. Rick Scott signed the bill banning texting while driving into law, making texting and driving a secondary offense. That means drivers have to be pulled over for a separate traffic violation before they are ticketed for texting behind the wheel.

Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, had championed the law over the last few years.

The adults whove been texting for years are going to have to change their habits, but were trying to teach kids not to text while driving before they ever start, said Detert of the law. With an actual law on the books banning texting while driving, that becomes a lot easier.

Gov. Scott said safety was a prime concern of his with family members on the road.

"As a father and a grandfather, texting while driving is something that concerns me when my loved ones are on the road," said Gov. Scott. "The 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day are known as the deadliest days on the road for teenagers."

The first offense for texting and driving will be a $30 fine plus court costs -- a number that rises with subsequent offenses.

In Florida, over 4,500 accidents last year were attributed to drivers being distracted by their cell phones or other electronic communication devices. Two hundred and fifty-five of those crashes were directly linked to texting, although law enforcement officials say that the actual number of crashes caused by texting is probably much higher.