I suppose that's supposed to be "fail".
Posted on 12/05/2017 2:02:39 PM PST by Hadean
TALLAHASSEE Support is building across Florida for a stronger law banning texting while driving, but some black legislators say they’ll fight the idea, claiming that it could invite more abuses by police.
A broad coalition of groups representing police, sheriffs, parents, retirees, doctors, businesses and others is mobilizing to pass a bill to elevate texting from a secondary to a primary offense, meaning police could ticket drivers who text, without needing another reason to stop them.
“It’s time to strengthen the law,” argues the FL DNT TXT N DRV Coalition. “Drivers who choose to text and drive are a danger not only to themselves, but to everyone else on the road.”
But African-American lawmakers, citing racial disparities in studies of traffic stops and acts of police violence against blacks, are wary of the idea. “There’s a concern that it could be a pretext to stop certain individuals,” said Sen. Perry Thurston, D-Lauderhill, chairman of the 28-member legislative black caucus and an opponent of a tougher texting law.
Thurston cited a 2014 study by the American Civil Liberties Union that found that African Americans were nearly twice as likely as whites to be stopped for violating a state law that requires motorists to wear seat belts.
(Excerpt) Read more at miamiherald.com ...
Race. Race. Race. Race. Race.
I am sooooo sick of it.
.
Seriously doubt if one skin color texts more than any other.
eventually a driver pulled over for texting will get shot.. mark my words.
Just a matter of time.
I bet most of the people pulled over were male.......wonder why? Oh wait, that is profiling.
If blacks break the law, then it must be the law that’s guilty.
Only blacks, hispanics, gays and women should be allowed to text when driving.
I’d bet, one gender over another, does.
If you believe in and love Jesus, follow him, if you want to meet him, text while driving!
I live in Florida and support the ban. I am SO sick of being called a racist. How does it end?
Typical "Progressive" thinking for this fish wrap.
What they should do is TAX texts from moving vehicles. Maybe 25 cents per text. If people don’t like it, they can PULL OVER and text. If they’re a passenger, they can use the CALLING FEATURE of their phone (if they can figure out how it works).
I’m as libertarian as anyone on most issues, and if a person wants to text and drive, no problem, just do it on your farm, not OUR highways - because you are putting me in danger.
“There’s a concern that it could be a pretext to stop certain individuals,”
Yeah, individuals who text while driving. That is the point. They later state blacks are more likely to get pulled over for not wearing seatbelts. First, they don’t stop anybody for not wearing a seatbelt, it is an add-on violation. Second, the article is basically saying blacks are more likely to be violators. I really can’t argue with that.
“black legislators say they’ll fight the idea, claiming that it could invite more abuses by police.”
That may be the case because when you consider what motivates a person to ignore the known hazards of texting and driving, you should expect that people who lack self-control will be prevalent among those who text and drive.
Thurston cited a 2014 study by the American Civil Liberties Union that found that African Americans were nearly twice as likely as whites to be stopped for violating a state law that requires motorists to wear seat belts.
Solution: Wear your seat belt.
As a side note, the group of people I see most often not wearing seat belts is the police.
Texting, talking, or any other obvious use of cell phone is already a ticketing offense in Oregon for the last few years.
I don’t recall any protests.
You don't want to get hassled by the po-po? Don't do stupid things that attract their attention. It works for me.
HOO_EE! That's a whopper of a bald-faced lie. As big as any prevarication HiTlery ever uttered.
We were told when the seatbelt laws came in that they would only ever be a secondary ticket but 5 years in, it was rolled into the standard moving violations. You've not seen the "Click it or Ticket" campaigns? Roadblocks just like for impaired driving, but they are just looking for seatbelts.
How pervasive is the enforcement of this? A neighbor of my mother was INSIDE their private driveway, and put her belt on as she approached the city street. Officer friendly wrote her a ticket "Because he felt she only put the belt on after she saw him."
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