A bill filed by Representative Jackie Toledo (R-Tampa) would make it all but impossible to use a hand-held phone while driving. The language of the bill seems to prohibit texting, reading a phone or making a phone call from a handheld device while operating a vehicle. The bill adds a prohibition of voice communications to the existing statute.

State law currently prohibits texting while driving. The proposed changes would broaden the language of the statute and prohibit “using a wireless communications device” while driving. The language seems to stop short of prohibiting voice phone calls from a hands free device by defining a “wireless communications device” as a “handheld device.”

There is a provision of the bill which allows for devices to be used while a vehicle is stopped and seems to allow for drivers to use a phone’s map feature, provided the addresses are entered while the vehicle is stopped and the device is not touched while driving.

The bill also makes it a primary offense, meaning officers can pull drivers over for texting while driving. The current law only allows officers to issue citations for texting after pulling a driver over for another offense.

The language of the bill reads in part:

“A person may not operate a motor vehicle while manually typing or entering multiple letters, numbers, symbols or other characters into a wireless communications device or while sending or reading data or using such a device for the purpose of nonvoice or voice interpersonal communication including, but not limited to, communication methods known as texting, e-mailing, and instant messaging. As used in this section, the term “wireless communications device” means any handheld device used or capable of being used in a handheld manner which is designed or intended to receive or transmit text or character-based messages, access or store data, or connect to the Internet or any communications service…and which allows text and voice communications.”