WASHINGTON, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Starting Monday, drivers can get pulled over for texting and driving in Florida as a new law banning the behavior went into effect in the southeastern U.S. state.
The new law, signed into legislation by governor Ron DeSantis in May, allows police officers to stop anyone who is texting.
Under the state law, a person found texting while driving will be fined 30 U.S. dollars for the first time and 60 dollars for the second offense with 3 points added to the license.
The law will be phased in. Warnings will be issued starting Oct. 1 and tickets will be issued starting Jan. 1.
The texting ban does not apply to a driver using a navigation device or to a driver whose vehicle is stationary.
According to a new study released by the consumer website SmartAsset, Florida is tied for the fourth worst state when it comes to poor drivers in the United States.
The study found only 73 percent of drivers in Florida have insurance, which is the lowest rate in the nation. When it comes to DUIs (Driving under the influence) , there are around two DUI incidents per every 1,000 drivers in the state. Florida also has the 11th highest rate of Google searches for traffic-related tickets in the country.
