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Advocates launch hands-free Florida coalition
Evan Axelbank reports
TAMPA, Fla. - Seeing the man who rear-ended their car at 86 miles an hour sentenced to 30 years for vehicular manslaughter for killing their 9-year-old son, Logan, isn't the beginning of Logan and Brooke Scherer's fight.
For the Scherers, it's not the end, either.
Logan was only nine years old when he was killed by a distracted driver.
RELATED: Family seeks justice 3 years after distracted driving crash killed young son
They're joining a statewide coalition that launched in Orlando Wednesday, called the, "Just Drive – Hands-Free Florida Coalition" that's pushing for tougher driving laws.
Right now, in Florida, you have to be fully hands free if you're on the phone in school and work zones. Outside of those, you can get a citation for using your phone to input letters and numbers.
Between 2012 and 2022, Florida has seen almost 3,000 people killed in distracted driving crashes.
But advocates say loopholes let those FaceTiming, zooming and those using GPS get off without enforcement. They want everywhere in the state to be hands free.
"Is a SnapChat more important than someone's life? Is a text message more important? The answer is no," said Michelle Avola-Brown, of the Naples Pathway Coalition.
READ: Authorities searching for driver who fled the scene of fatal Pasco County hit-and-run
Between 2012 and 2022, Florida has seen 2,727 people killed in distracted driving crashes, with more than 33,000 seriously injured.
"Please pledge today to put away all your distractions. Don't let anyone else you're in the car with drive distracted," shared Avola-Brown.
Logan and Brooke Scherer did not only want the man responsible for killing their son to pay for his crimes, they want to prevent something similar from happening to other families.
The driver responsible for Logan's death was just given 30 years for vehicular manslaughter, because the judge said he was downloading spreadsheets, paying credit card bills, and driving distracted for over an hour.
The key, advocates say, is changing the language beyond just, quote, texting and driving.
"Texting is not the end all be all of distractions on your phone," said Brooke Scherer. "You know, it is watching a video. It's FaceTiming, it's YouTube, it's social media. It's all of these multitude of activities you can be doing."