TAMPA (WFLA) — Driving through a school zone? Make sure you put the phone down. A new hands-free law took effect Tuesday.
Master Deputy Donny Rizer has been with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for 18 years. He sees a lot of people on their cell phones and not paying attention.
Rizer was outside Citrus Park Elementary school Tuesday reminding drivers that now, in school zones and construction zones where workers are present, you have to be hands-free.
“A lot of our crashes that occur in our district, and most districts I’m sure, are the same,” he said. “It’s not from a flaw in the intersection, it’s distracted driving, and one of the main causes of distracted driving is texting on a device.”
Crossing guard Richardeen Casso has seen a lot of the same thing.
“The cell phone action, they’re not paying attention,” he said. “So they can’t really see us when they’re approaching the line.”
Florida is one of 48 states that currently ban all drivers from texting while driving, but the National Conference of State Legislatures says only 20 states prohibit all hand-held use of cellphones while behind the wheel.
Distracted driving claimed 3,166 lives in 2017, according to the latest statistics from the federal government. Of those, 434 were shown to be linked to cellphone use.
Law enforcement will hand out warnings for now, but will begin levying fines Jan. 1.
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