STORAGE NAME: h0699.GOS
DATE: 3/14/2025
1
FLORIDA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
BILL ANALYSIS
This bill analysis was prepared by nonpartisan committee staff and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.
BILL #: HB 699
TITLE: Noncriminal Traffic Infractions Causing Vehicle
Crashes
SPONSOR(S): Melo
COMPANION BILL: SB 1210 (Martin)
LINKED BILLS: None
RELATED BILLS: None
Committee References
Government Operations
State Affairs
SUMMARY
Effect of the Bill:
The bill requires a mandatory hearing and additional penalties for a person who commits certain traffic infractions
relating to red lights; stop intersections; or pedestrian crossings and crashes into another vehicle.
Fiscal or Economic Impact:
The bill may have an indeterminate positive fiscal impact on state revenues and an indeterminate fiscal impact on
the private sector.
JUMP TO SUMMARY ANALYSIS RELEVANT INFORMATION BILL HISTORY
ANALYSIS
EFFECT OF THE BILL:
The bill requires a mandatory hearing for a person who commits one of the following traffic infractions that results
in a crash with another vehicle:
A driver running a red light or stop sign.
A driver failing to stop for a pedestrian.
A driver failing to yield the right-of-way to any vehicle that has entered the intersection from another
highway or is approaching to closely on such highway as to constitute an immediate hazard during the time
that the driver is moving across or within the intersection.
A driver at a four-way stop intersection failing to yield the right-of-way to traffic already in the
intersection; or if arriving at the same time failing to yield to the vehicle on the right. (Section 2)
The bill provides additional penalties for any person who is required to appear for such mandatory hearing and is
found to have committed one or more of the violations:
First offense: A fine of $500.
Second offense: A fine of $1,000 and the suspension of his or her driver license for six months.
Third and subsequent offense: A fine of $1,000 and the suspension of his or her driver license for one year.
(Section 1)
The bill provides an effective date of October 1, 2025. (Section 3)
FISCAL OR ECONOMIC IMPACT:
STATE GOVERNMENT:
The bill may have an indeterminate positive impact on state revenues by increasing the fines for a person who
commits certain traffic infractions that result in a crash with another vehicle.
JUMP TO SUMMARY ANALYSIS RELEVANT INFORMATION BILL HISTORY
2
PRIVATE SECTOR:
Indeterminate. The bill may increase costs to a person who commits certain traffic infractions that result in a crash
with another vehicle.
RELEVANT INFORMATION
SUBJECT OVERVIEW:
Red Lights
Running a Red Light
Current law provides that a driver facing a steady red traffic control signal (red light) at an intersection must stop
at the stop line; however, if the intersection does not have a stop line the driver must stop before entering the
crosswalk and, further, if there is no crosswalk, the vehicle must stop at the point nearest to the intersecting
roadway where the driver has a view of approaching traffic.
1 A driver that is stopped at a red light in obedience to a
steady red traffic control may make a:
Right turn, if such driver yields the right-of-way to pedestrians and other traffic.
2
Left turn into a one-way street that has traffic moving to the left, if such driver yields the right-of-way to
pedestrians and other traffic.
3
Running a red light is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a moving violation.
4 The statutory base fine is
$158,
5 but with additional fees and surcharges, the total penalty may be up to $256.
6 A suspension of license is not
required for such infraction.
7
Stopping for Pedestrians
A driver facing a red light is required by law to stop before entering the crosswalk and remain stopped to allow a
pedestrian, with a permitted signal, to cross a roadway when the pedestrian is in the crosswalk and is on the same
half of the roadway as the driver or when the pedestrian is approaching so closely from the opposite half of the
roadway as to be in danger.
8
A violation of the above law relating to stopping for pedestrians is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a
moving violation.
9 The statutory base fine is $60,
10 but with additional fees and surcharges, the total penalty may
be up to $158.
11 A suspension of license is not required for such infraction.
12
Stop Signs at Intersections
Current law provides that, except when directed to proceed by a police officer or traffic control signal, every driver
approaching an intersection with a stop sign must stop at the clearly marked stop line
13 before entering the
intersection.
14 After having stopped, the driver must yield the right-of-way to any vehicle that has entered the
intersection from another highway or that is approaching so closely on such highway as to constitute an immediate
1
S. 316.075(1)(c)1, F.S.
2
Id.
3
Id.
4
S. 316.075(4), F.S.
5
S. 318.18(16)(a), F.S.
6
Florida Clerks & Comptrollers, Distribution Schedule of Court-Related Filing Fees, Service Charges, Costs and Fines, Including a
Fee Schedule for Recording (Effective July 1, 2024), p. 50 (last visited Mar. 12, 2025).
7
DHSMV, Appendix C, p. 3 (last visited Mar. 12, 2025).
8
S. 316.075(1)(c)2, F.S.
9
S. 316.075(4), F.S.
10
S. 318.18(3)(a), F.S.
11
Florida Clerks & Comptrollers, Distribution Schedule of Court-Related Filing Fees, Service Charges, Costs and Fines, Including a
Fee Schedule for Recording (Effective July 1, 2024), p. 48 (last visited Mar. 12, 2025).
12
DHSMV, Appendix C, p. 3 (last visited Mar. 12, 2025).
13
Section 316.123(2)(a), F.S., provides that if there is no clearly marked stop sign, then a driver must stop before entering the
crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then at the point nearest the intersecting roadway where the driver
has a view of approaching traffic on the intersecting roadway.
14
Id. JUMP TO SUMMARY ANALYSIS RELEVANT INFORMATION BILL HISTORY
3
hazard during the time when the driver is moving across the intersection.
15 At a four-way stop intersection, the
driver of the first vehicle to arrive at the intersection is required to be the first to proceed. If two or more vehicles
reach the four-way stop intersection at the same time, the driver of the vehicle on the left must yield the right-of-
way to the vehicle on the right.
16
A violation of the above laws relating to stopping and yielding at an intersection is a noncriminal traffic infraction,
punishable as a moving violation.
17 The statutory base fine is $60,
18 but with additional fees and surcharges, the
total penalty may be up to $158.
19 A suspension of license is not required for such infraction.
20
Mandatory Hearing
A person must appear before a designated official for a mandatory hearing if he or she commits a traffic infraction
resulting:
In a crash that causes the death of another.
In a crash that causes a serious bodily injury of another.
21
At the mandatory hearing, if the designated official determines that the person committed an infraction that caused
serious bodily injury to another person, the designated official must impose a civil penalty of $500, in addition to
any other penalties, and the person’s driver license must be suspended for three months. If a designated official
determines that the person committed an infraction that caused the death of another person, the designated
official must impose a civil penalty of $1,000, in addition to any other penalties, and the person’s driver license
must be suspended for six months.
22
BILL HISTORY
COMMITTEE REFERENCE ACTION DATE
STAFF
DIRECTOR/
POLICY CHIEF
ANALYSIS
PREPARED BY
Government Operations
Subcommittee
Toliver Walker
State Affairs Committee
15
Id.
16
S. 316.123(2)(b), F.S.
17
S. 316.123(4), F.S.
18
S. 318.18(3)(a), F.S.
19
Florida Clerks & Comptrollers, Distribution Schedule of Court-Related Filing Fees, Service Charges, Costs and Fines, Including a
Fee Schedule for Recording (Effective July 1, 2024), p. 48 (last visited Mar. 12, 2025).
20
DHSMV, Appendix C, p. 5 (last visited Mar. 12, 2025).
21
S. 318.19, F.S.
22
S. 318.14(5), F.S.