For years, Florida drivers been demanding a law against distracted driving. Yet, despite being politically popular, it hasn't been able to make it through the legislature.
This year, a new bill might have better chances, in part, because it’s being introduced with the backing of a local couple who lost their own child in a distracted driving wreck two years ago.
For Brooke and Jordan Scherer, it's not political.
It's deeply personal.
“Which family member would you choose to lose?” asks people – challenging them to understand a small fraction of the pain he and his wife feel – and act on it.
“Would we be standing here today had this been something that was in place well before our son was taken by a distracted driver?” asks Brooke Scherer.
In 2016, the Scherer's lost their 9-year-old son Logan in a distracted driving wreck.
The Riverview couple's SUV was rear-ended on I-75 by 35-year-old Gregory Andriotis, who investigators say had been using his phone while driving.
But it took nearly a year and a half for prosecutors to charge Andriotis with vehicular homicide. Because Florida law against distracted driving is so weak.
“We quickly knew that the only way we were going to survive this hell was to do something about it,” Brooke said. “Logan may not be here, but he will always be here, and we are determined to make a legacy for him.”
The Scherer's created the Living for Logan Foundation. It’s a non-profit whose goal is to eliminate distracted driving through education and legislation.
With help from State Representative Jackie Toledo, (R) Tampa, the couple hopes to bring a bill to Tallahassee in 2019 outlawing, not just texting, but any phone use that isn’t hands-free.
“That means you can’t be on your phone. Regardless of what you’re doing,” Toledo said.
Similar bills failed to pass because people had concerns about civil liberties and police checking drivers’ phones to see what they were doing.
Toledo says this law would remove those concerns by making all phone use that isn’t hands-free illegal.
Hillsborough school officials also vow to add more distracted driving information to the drivers-education curriculum. The hope is to stop the habits before they start.
“We know this does not only affect our teenagers though,” Hillsborough Schools Superintendent Jeff Eakins said. “Adults, texting in school zones or crosswalks can greatly impact our students and staff.”
The Scherer's hope that when state lawmakers hear their story and see their son's face, that maybe then they'll finally find the political courage to make distracted driving a primary offense.
Drivers could then be cited without having to get pulled over for something else first.
Florida remains one of only four states left in the nation where texting while driving is not considered a primary offense.
“We have to learn from our mistakes. We have to learn from our losses,” Jordan Scherer said, “And too often that just doesn’t happen.”
Clarification: An earlier version of this story suggested investigators believed Mr. Andriotis may have been texting. Instead, they currently believe he was surfing the web, installing phone apps and possibly even making a credit card payment. The story has been updated to reflect that authorities claim he was using his phone -- without implying texting. Like anyone else, he is innocent until proven guilty.
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