The St. Cloud Police Department is actively working to reduce distracted driving, particularly the use of mobile devices while driving. On Wednesday, officers from the St. Cloud Police Motorcycle unit were stationed at the corner of Nolte and Canoe Creek Rd, specifically looking for drivers who were openly texting or looking at their phones instead of focusing on the road. In just three hours, officers managed to pull over more than a dozen drivers who were violating Florida’s texting and distracted driving laws.

One notable incident involved a driver who appeared to be watching a video while driving. When pulled over, the driver claimed to be using the phone’s GPS. However, as the officer pointed out, the video continued to play even as the driver was being informed of the reason for the stop.

St. Cloud Police
St. Cloud Police
St. Cloud Police

In May, the St. Cloud Police Department collaborated with Best Foot Forward, an initiative administered by Bike Walk Central Florida. This initiative focuses on educating drivers and enforcing laws related to crosswalk and pedestrian safety. Since then, the St. Cloud PD has conducted multiple operations to discourage distracted driving, funded by a $27,000 grant from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). A previous operation at the end of April resulted in 87 total driver contacts, 42 citations issued, and 53 warnings given.

Florida’s texting and distracted driving laws prohibit drivers from using handheld devices for texting while driving. This includes typing, sending, or reading text messages, emails, and instant messages. The law also bans any form of non-voice communication that requires the driver to manually type or enter multiple letters, numbers, symbols, or other characters into a wireless communications device.

The operation on Wednesday was scheduled ahead of the new school year, which brings the return of student pedestrians, bicyclists, families driving their children to school, and school buses on the road. Texting while driving and other forms of distracted driving pose significant risks, making these enforcement efforts even more crucial.

City of St. Cloud Public Information Officer Andrew Sullivan emphasized the importance of these operations,”By proactively targeting distracted driving, we aim to create safer roads for everyone, especially as the new school year begins. The safety of our community, particularly our students, is a top priority. This iniative is done so transparently, letting drivers know when and where they will be conducted and why we’re doing them. Sadly, many drivers are just not getting the message.”

The St. Cloud Police Department’s ongoing efforts highlight the importance of adhering to traffic laws to ensure the safety of all road users.