Lawmakers Give 'Allie's Law' First Read

Steven Augello is not a public speaker, just a grief-stricken father.

Both his nervousness and sincerity were evident when he stood before three legislators Tuesday to make his case for a new law.

Specifically, he wants Allie's Law, which would honor his 17-year-old daughter, Alessandra Augello. She was killed Nov. 10 in a two-car collision on a Hudson road. The other driver, 19-year-old Alyssa Dyer, was also killed. She was three months pregnant.

Soon after the funeral, Augello learned that Dyer had sent a text message minutes prior to the crash. While there's no solid proof she was texting at the time of the crash, it's evidence enough for Augello to know a change has to be made.

So he drafted Allie's Law, which would prohibit texting while driving on Florida's roads. On Tuesday, he turned over a draft to three local legislators during a delegation meeting to seek their input and plead for a change.

The lawmakers were initially surprised at the limited scope of the bill. Augello explained that it's only a start and he's trying to keep it simple so that at least something becomes law. Nine bills proposing a similar law never even made it out of committee last year.

After giving his condolences, Rep. Ron Schultz (R-Homosassa) commented that it could be time to craft a law that doesn't try to curb human behavior.

Instead it might be more prudent to embrace technology that actually prevents texting while driving. Perhaps it's something to discuss with the service providers, Schultz said.

Sen. Mike Fasano (R-New Port Richey) also encouraged Augello's efforts and said that a petition could go a long way.

"There's momentum building for this," he said.

After his time had expired, Augello took a seat and rubbed at his eyes for a minute. The apparent support had lifted his spirits.

"I was nervous, but I think it went good," he said, then paused. "It was good."

For more information on the proposed Allie's Law, which would prohibit texting while driving on Florida roads, visit: allieslaw.com