Texting law about money, not lives

It is really disgusting that Emily Slosberg has to do what she’s doing.

The Florida Legislature should be doing the heavy lifting here, making texting while driving a primary offense.

If you’ve seen the texting idiots on their beloved phones on South Florida roads— and if you have ever been in a car, you have seen them— you know this is a no-brainer.

Our lawmakers have the no-brain part down pat. Florida is one of only four states where texting while driving isn’t considered a primary offense. That means you can’t be pulled over if an officer sees you texting. Only if you are committing another violation can you also be nailed for textingwhile driving.

You see, our lawmakers don’t figure there is a problem unless somebody is throwing money around (translation: the lobbyists are out in force).

You have liquor and antiliquor lobbyists, You have tobacco lobbyists. God knows howmany charter school and gun lobbyists you have slinking aroundTallahassee.

Not sowith texting while driving. There are no highly paid lobbyists.

That’s where Emily Slosberg comes in. Thankfully.

ADemocratic StateRep. from Boca Raton, Slosberg is essentially on a one-woman crusade to get members of the Legislature to open their eyes about the dangers of texting and driving.

Sure, thousands of teenagers and adults are killed and injured each year in auto accidents, with traffic fatalities in Florida increasing nearly18 percent in 2015. One report said nearly nine people die every day nationally because of distracted driving.Texting and driving is not the only cause of the accidents, but studies have shown texting while driving is more dangerous than drunken driving.

But our legislators are too busy takingNRAcampaign contributions toworry about texting and driving. So Slosberg has made it her mission to get to all 67 counties in Florida, hoping they’ll pass local resolutions supporting a change to make texting while driving a primary offense. By doing this, she hopes fellowlawmakers take notice.

Slosberg has a personal reason for this, too. Her twins sister Doriwas killed in a crash with a speeding driver in1996. Emily sustained a punctured lung and several broken bones in the same crash.

Their father, formerRep. Irv Slosberg of Boca Raton, fought for tougher driving laws in Florida. Nowits Emily’s turn.

I asked herwhy our legislators don’t showmore interest in penalizing those who text while driving.

“One reason its not a priority is there’s no money behind it. Legislators make it a priority when lobbyists are behind it,” she said.

“Also, there are libertarians who say they don’twant government riding in the car.”

For years, we heard the same kind of arguments against seat belts in Florida, until theywere made a primary offense in 2009.

And, as Emily explained, there is an important difference between seat belts and texting.

If you don’t use your seat belt, you are the one who can get injured or killed. Whenyou text and drive, you have other people’s lives in your hands.

“It’s completely ridiculous (that texting and driving isn’t a primary offense),” she said.

She’s right, of course. And youwould like to think one of the primary duties of our lawmakers is to make sure the citizens of Florida are safe.

It’s unfortunate that it might take one of their family members or friends to be in an accident involving texting before our legislators act. Better they should listen to Emily Slosberg and do the right thing.

Gary Stein can be reached at gstein@sunsentinel.com, or 954-356-4616. On Twitter @sseditorial.