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With Florida’s new texting and driving ban now law, many in The Villages are wondering what about texting while driving a golf cart?

“The very technical answer is ‘yes,’ you could get a ticket if you are texting and driving a golf cart,” said Leslie Palmer of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

However, the driver would have to have been pulled over on another offense, just like the law will be in force for all motor vehicles. The chances of that happening in a golf cart, are “very small,” she said.

“Any time you drive a motor vehicle, the chances are there for someone being hurt. Drivers of all motor vehicles need to keep their eyes on the road and not be distracted,” Palmer cautioned.

Texting and driving is no longer legal in Florida. Florida becomes the 41st state to ban texting while driving. The new law took effect at midnight. Distracted drivers are becoming one of the greatest threats on our roads today. More than 3,400 crashes occurred last year in Florida in which the driver was distracted by an “electronic device,” such as a cell phone, which resulted in 24 fatalities. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimates that a driver who texts and drives is 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash. The problem is of particular concern among teenage drivers. Eleven teens are killed each day in the U.S. as the result of a crash in which texting and driving was to blame.