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Push for 'hands-free' driving law in Florida
Checking your phone behind the wheel can be a deadly gamble, and it’s why a few Florida lawmakers have tried to get a hands-free driving bill off the ground. FOX 13's Briona Arradondo reports.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Checking your phone behind the wheel can be a deadly gamble, and it’s why a few Florida lawmakers have tried to get a hands-free driving bill off the ground.
The backstory:
April is distracted driving awareness month, and for three years a hands-free driving bill has stalled in the Florida legislature.
Democratic State Representative Allison Tant, who represents District 9 including Madison and Jefferson counties, introduced the bill in 2024 and 2025.
What they're saying:
Tant said some lawmakers voiced concerns about government overreach, but she said it's about public safety and your money.
"The costs of distracted driving are high. We have increased hospital costs, but we also have increased car insurance costs because our state refuses to address this issue," Tant said.
During the 2026 legislative session, Republican State Representative Omar Blanco, who represents District 115 in South Florida, introduced HB 1241 for hands-free driving.
It failed in a committee.
"I've spent a career working as a firefighter on the front lines here in Miami-Dade County. So even from that perspective, I've had the unfortunate experience of viewing, of being present to the tragedies that happened from distracted driving," Blanco said.
By the numbers:
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, 304 people died in 2025 because of a distracted driver.
State data shows there were more than 52,900 crashes because of distracted drivers, resulting in at least 2,100 people being seriously injured.
Dig deeper:
Texting while driving is already banned in Florida.
Those citations went up in the last four years, according to FLHSMV.
Currently, 33 states ban drivers from holding their phones while driving, including Georgia.
Why you should care:
It’s been 11 years since 19-year-old Anthony Branca was hit and killed by a distracted driver on their phone in 2014, leaving his family heartbroken.
"This is not the existence that you want," said his father, Demetrius Branca.
Courtesy: Demetrius Branca
Branca said he does not miss a legislative meeting in Tallahassee to advocate for hands-free driving.
"For me, this is a mission. You know, and I wish someone had done this 15 years ago before Anthony was killed, because he might still be alive and who knows? I might be a grandpa by now, which would be awesome, but I'm not because my son is dead," Branca said. "Please put your phone down. There's nothing on your phone that's worth it."
The Source: The information in this story came from Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles crash data and reports, text from proposed Florida bills, as well as interviews with legislators and a crash victim’s relative. It was gathered by FOX 13’s Briona Arradondo.