It is now illegal in Florida to text while you are driving, however, there are other ways to send a text without breaking the law, and still keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel.
If you absolutely have to send a text message, or check through your phone, the safest thing to do, is still to pull over into a gas station or a parking area. However, there are ways to command your phone or your car, to send messages for you, provided you have the technology.
Your car and or your phone have features which can you to go completely hands-free.
Alan Crowetz, WPTV tech expert with www.Infostream.cc said there are a lot of apps, like the one he demonstrated from his car. It’s called Android Auto and it enables me to speak to my phone and ask it to message and send phone calls.
Androids and iPhones have features and auto apps which can text for you even if your car does not have hands-free or voice-activated technology and he went on to demonstrate: “Ok google, send a message to Chuck Poole, hello” he instructed his phone which then replied “Here is your message to Chuck Poole, ‘hello’: asking if he wanted to send it or change it.
Retired veteran Archie Shaw says he never types anything on the touchscreen when messaging or when using navigation. He says he doesn’t have to look. He can just give a command and it takes care of it.
Officer Lugo told us that during the course of the six month education phase of the law, he is advising drivers to look into hands-free options. He is also warning driver that they could still be cited during the education phase, if they cause an extremely dangerous situation.
All phones have an option to block all alerts, notifications and text messages altogether, when driving/on the move. All you need to do is go to the control center and activate the ‘do not disturb while driving’ feature.
