JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Nowadays, it seems like every time you’re on the road, you spot someone looking at a phone while driving. Florida passed a hands-free law in 2019 to curb distracted driving — but law enforcement says it’s still a persistent problem.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office wrote nearly 160 tickets last year for texting and driving, and officers say the issue is growing.
A crash happens in Florida about every 44 seconds, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The agency says about one in seven crashes involves distracted driving. It also reports distracted driving killed more than 300 people statewide last year — the highest total since 2021…