Frederica Wilson for Congress

Wilson Files Bills on Cell Phone and Texting Bans

Posted: 08/04/2009

 

For the third consecutive year, Senator Frederica Wilson (D-Miami Gardens) is filing legislation aimed at restricting cell phone use and texting by distracted Florida drivers.  Last year’s bill SB 172 called Heather’s Law prohibited a person operating a motor vehicle on a state highway from texting while driving and dialing, listening or speaking on a cell phone.

      “Heather Hurd was a vibrant 27 year old woman on her way to meet with wedding planners in 2008, when a texting tractor trailer driver plowed into her car at a red light tragically cutting short her life,” said Wilson. “While states across the country pass laws to address the growing numbers of casualties, Florida chooses to hide its head in the sand.”

      Since Heather’s law was not heard in the Florida Senate this past session, on July 7th Wilson submitted draft number 33-00095, a stand alone text messaging bill and she resubmitted Heather’s Law.

      “This year we hope to make Heather’s memory more impactful by passing this texting bill or by passing Heather’s Law.  Since data now proves that texting and cell phone use by motorists is as hazardous as drinking and driving, perhaps we need to place the phones down and concentrate on arriving alive,” said Wilson.

      To commemorate Heather’s death during the 2009 legislative session, Senators Dockery and Wilson filed a road designation to SB 672 that renamed a portion of Highway 27 in Polk County between U.S. Highway 192 as “Heather Hurd Memorial Highway.”  This is the stretch of highway where Heather lost her life.

 

 

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