Broward County commission endorses hands‑free driving legislation after family’s plea

The Broward County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution on Feb. 25 expressing support for legislation that would require hands‑free use of mobile devices while driving.

The resolution, item 27 on the agenda, came after public comment from Demetrius Branca of Tallahassee, whose son was killed by a distracted driver about a decade ago. Branca told the commission he has traveled to more than 20 counties urging local governments to add their voices to a statewide push for a hands‑free law.

Branca said Florida’s current law—focused primarily on texting—does not cover the full range of handheld distractions. “He was killed by someone who knew better than to look at their phone while they were driving and did so anyway because they were not subject to consequences by law enforcement,” Branca said. He cited studies and comparisons with more than 30 other states that have enacted hands‑free statutes and said fatalities drop as a result.

The resolution notes that Florida prohibits texting while driving but the state’s handheld restrictions are limited to certain zones, such as school zones and active construction areas, and it calls on the Legislature to mandate hands‑free driving statewide.

Commissioners who spoke during the item offered support. Senator Rich said she would press the county’s legislative delegation to back hands‑free legislation in Tallahassee and drew a parallel to the multiyear effort that produced the state seat‑belt law. Senator Geller expressed sympathy and said he would vote for the resolution as a courtesy but cautioned the board about adopting many positions unrelated to direct county responsibilities.

The board voted unanimously to adopt the resolution; meeting minutes show the vote passed without opposition.

The resolution is nonbinding: it registers the county’s support for a change in state law rather than enacting local prohibition beyond existing Florida statute. The text of the resolution, as read into the record, asks the county’s legislative delegation and the Florida Legislature to adopt a hands‑free mandate for handheld mobile devices while driving.

A next step indicated in the meeting was to forward the adopted resolution to the county’s state legislative delegation and to continue outreach to other counties and municipalities supporting a hands‑free approach.

Speakers at the Feb. 25 meeting who addressed or were quoted on this item include Vice Mayor Bogan (who introduced the resolution) and Demetrius Branca, along with Senator Rich, Senator Geller and Commissioners Fisher and Udean, who made public remarks on the topic prior to the vote.