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Tallahassee advocate asks Escambia commissioners to adopt hands‑free resolution urging state law
Summary
A Tallahassee father whose son was killed by a distracted driver urged the board to adopt a resolution supporting a Florida hands‑free driving law; commissioners accepted the comments and expressed condolences but took no formal vote.
Dimitri Branca, who described himself as a member of the Florida Hands Free Coalition, urged the Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 6 to adopt a resolution endorsing a statewide hands‑free driving law.
Branca said he drove from Tallahassee to speak after his son, Anthony, was killed by a distracted driver. He told commissioners that states with enforced hands‑free laws have seen up to 25% reductions in traffic fatalities, and he cited county and state crash totals for 2024 while urging local officials to send a signal to the Florida Legislature by adopting a local resolution.
Branca said a draft resolution had been emailed to the board and noted that a growing list of Florida counties had passed similar resolutions. Commissioners thanked him, offered condolences for his loss, and accepted his written draft; the record shows no formal board vote to adopt a hands‑free resolution at the Feb. 6 meeting.
No resolution was adopted that night; Branca asked the board to consider sending the signal to state lawmakers in support of a hands‑free statute.
