Distracted driving remains a critical issue on Florida’s roads, with many drivers still using their cell phones behind the wheel despite legal restrictions.

Since 2019, texting and driving has been illegal in Florida, classified as a primary offense, which means drivers can be pulled over solely for this violation.

At a WINK Listens event in Punta Gorda, Ron Stahl of North Fort Myers expressed his concerns about the prevalence of this behavior. He wanted to know how many citations local law enforcement agencies have handed out for texting and driving.

“People either speeding, or if you’re at a stoplight, a lot of times, it takes them five or 10 seconds to get moving again, because they’re talking, not paying attention, cutting in front of you. Don’t even see where you’re going.”

Michael Perzel of North Fort Myers shared his frustration with distracted drivers.

“It’s annoying, simple as that,” said Perzel.

WINK News submitted records requests to local law enforcement agencies to determine how many citations have been issued for texting while driving from January 1 to October 1, 2025 and received the following responses:

Cape Coral Police Department: 50Collier County Sheriff’s Office: 45Lee County Sheriff’s Office: 43 (146 warnings)Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office: 15Naples Police Department: 6Fort Myers Police Department: 4Punta Gorda Police Department: 1

Last year, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office issued 15 citations and 22 warnings. The Cape Coral Police Department issued 4 citations in 2024.

Mercedes Simonds from the Cape Coral Police Department emphasized the importance of enforcement in combating distracted driving.

“We call it education through enforcement. Hopefully, if it hits their bank account, then it hits what they actually change, because it’s not a first-time offense; most likely, it’s just the first time that they were caught,” said Simonds.

Simonds highlighted the dangers of multitasking while driving.

“You can’t multitask, well, at least, so that’s why it’s so important to put your phone down, whatever text it is. It can wait and just focus on the road,” said Simonds.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles provides data on distracted driving crashes. Last year, Lee County alone experienced 4,480 distracted driving crashes. Click here for more information.

The law also prohibits handheld cellphone use in school and work zones, with penalties including fines, points on your license, and potential suspension for repeat offenders.