Family pushes for ban on texting while driving following death of their son

TAMPA, Fla. (FOX 13) - They are texting, Instagram-ing, and even Face-timing. Brooke Scherer says some drivers are doing anything but paying attention to the roads.

“They’re watching YouTube, they’re Face-timing, we see face-timing a lot,” Scherer said.

She and her husband Jordan have become hyper-aware of distracted drivers since losing their 10-year-old son Logan in 2016.

A distracted driver plowed into their family SUV while they were stopped in traffic, killing Logan instantly.

Last December, the couple stood beside Florida State Rep. Jackie Toledo, who was introducing a bill to ban texting while driving. 

That bill passed Tuesday by a wide margin.

“We passed it on the House floor, 104-9,” Rep. Toledo said in an interview via Skype.

The Senate's version of the bill goes further than texting. It only allows drivers to use hands-free devices -- or nothing at all.

The two bills will have to be merged into one before it can become law.

"It's going to eliminate a lot of the ambiguity concerns,” said Brooke’s husband Jordan. “A lot of that gets thrown out the window when you're talking about a hands-free bill because it takes a question that a law enforcement officer might have, like 'I need to prove they were texting.'"

Texting and driving is already against the law, but it's a secondary offense. That means a driver can be cited for it only if they get pulled over for something else.

Both the Senate and House versions would make it a primary offense.

"I don't have to touch my phone at all to have it do anything I want it to do,” said Rep. Toledo. “Whether it's changing a radio station, or give me directions. I can even tell my phone to plug in an address to give me directions."

The Scherers turn their phones on "Do not disturb" mode while they're driving.

"Do not disturb is just one option, and it's easy to employ,” Jordan Scherer said.

It's their way of keeping the roadways safe, while sharing their message.