Still no ban on texting while driving

The texting while driving debate will rage on in the state of Florida. Several bills to ban it have all failed to become law this session.

Steve Augello of Spring Hill is disappointed. His daughter Allie never got to graduate from high school or say good-bye to her family.

"I have a son who's 11," said Augello through tears. "We all miss Allie."

In 2008, the 17-year-old was killed in a head-on crash on her way home from school. The other teenage driver also died. In that vehicle, investigators found a cell phone thrown from the driver's side to the back of the car. Augello says the other driver was texting.

"It was confirmed by one of her relatives when I went to pay my last respects at her wake," he said.

Allie's Law, which would make texting while driving illegal in Florida, failed to make it through the legislature. A similar bill came close, but Representative Ellyn Bogdanoff killed it, citing a number of other distractions needing to be addressed.

Texting while driving has been banned in nearly 25 states.

"I have, in the past, been guilty of texting and driving, but I've heard many things on the TV and radio and I've chosen to stop," said 18-year-old driver Mercedee Lindell.

Two local hospitals are taking a stand. Staff from Sarasota Memorial Hospital and Bayfront Medical Center have signed a pledge promising not to text and drive.

"We've noticed a dramatic increase in accidents related to distracted driving, especially in the young," said Dr. Bill Colgate, ER Director at Sarasota Memorial.

Augello says his fight isn't over.

"It amazes me how if I was a gopher turtle, I'd be more protected, because in the state of Florida, gopher turtles are protected," Augello said. "But what about humans?"

The Augello family has a web site dedicated to Allie's Law. They will continue their petition drive, so far gathering 4,000 signatures.

The bill would have made reading and typing text messages or e-mail and surfing the internet behind the wheel a secondary offense, meaning police would have to first pull over a driver for a primary offense, like running a stop sign, before issuing a ticket.