RICHMOND
U cnt txt & drv NE more.
It took state legislators far more letters and words to enact that policy, but beginning Wednesday it will be illegal for motorists to send text messages and e-mails while operating a vehicle.
The texting ban is a secondary offense, meaning that individuals can be cited only after being stopped by police for another infraction. It carries a $20 fine for a first offense and a $50 penalty for subsequent violations.
Emergency vehicle operators, drivers who are parked or reporting an emergency and people using GPS devices are exempt from the restriction.
In 2008, state officials attributed 28,395 crashes - 114 of them fatal - to distracted drivers.
The ban, sponsored by Dels. John Cosgrove, R-Chesapeake, and Algie Howell Jr., D-Norfolk, is one of several new laws that take effect Wednesday.
Others include:
- A provision allowing courts to suspend the driving privileges of minors with 10 or more consecutive unexcused absences from school. Drivers ages 16 and 17 will be covered. Those who continue to drive after their license is suspended would be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor, which carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $2,500 fine.
- A prohibition against driving certain mopeds, motorized scooters, electric-powered bicycles and wheelchairs on the highway. Restricted vehicles under this law are those with a top speed of less than 35 mph. Violators of the law face a $50 fine.
- Two new laws targeting drunken drivers. One extends to 10 years from five the period of time within which a motorist convicted of a second drunken driving offense is required to have an ignition interlock installed in his or her vehicle. That device prevents a car from being started when an intoxicated driver breathes into it. The other law clarifies the penalty for driving without a required ignition interlock, making that offense a Class 1 misdemeanor. Convicted offenders also will lose their license for one year.
- A law allowing senior citizens to take safe-driving courses online.
- A measure, carried by Howell, that bans the sale of novelty lighters to customers younger than 18 and imposes a $100 fine on merchants who violate that law. Stores that sell the toylike lighters are also required to keep them behind the counter.
- A 10 percent fee on pay-per-view movies purchased in hotel rooms. Proceeds from that surcharge, sponsored by Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, will be split between a state coffer and a fund intended to lure movie makers to Virginia.
- An election reform bill, carried by Cosgrove, that includes language allowing voters to wear stickers, buttons and clothing that bear the name of a political candidate. State election officials last year ruled that such attire was not allowed at polling places.
- Several new specialty license plates, including an anti-abortion plate that bears the "Choose Life" slogan.
Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com
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waste of time and money
Our legilature keeps proving over and over again that they are waste of time and money. All of these bills are trivial, designed to reduce liberty, and achieve nothing.
If I get pulled over for texting, and I say that "Oh, I wasns't texting, I was dialing a phone number." Without a search warrant for either my phone or my phone records how can you give me a ticket? A police officer can't just confiscate my phone without a warrant to prove whether I was texting, checking my calendar, or anything number of the hundreds of things you can do with a phone now.
Vote everyone out of office for next three election cycles. It doesn't matter if they are democrat or republican. We need to send a message that we the people no longer feel represented by either party or their menions.
where is the money
Now look at where the money come from first off. Regardless of the service provider, they all give campaign contributions to politicians. They in turn take the teeth out of the laws intended purpose. That Va. beach officer that got the DUI the other day do you honestly think if he hadn't crashed into someone else that he would still have a DUI! Look into these laws more than what the face value is. How big is the cell phone industry? We knew for 50 years that tobacco causes so many problems in smokers, yet it took thousands of law-suits and millions and Billions of dollars in medical bills for someone to finally admit it is hazardous to your health. WHERE IS THE MONEY. . .
No new law needed
There is already a law on the books that can handle this and other stupid things people do while driving. The law concerns Reckless Driving, whyich only needs to be tweaked a bit to (a) increase the fines, and (b) make clear that anything a driver does other than hands-on-the-wheel, eyes-on-the-road is reckless. This new ban on texting has no teeth - drivers have to be stopped for something else and the fines are ridiculously low - and is only political grandstanding by legislators.
New law about texting while driving.
The law is a worthless waste of General Assembly time. A person can only be ticketed after he or she is stopped for something else? What fool is going to continue texting while being stopped?
Texting while driving
They are just ovwd…Operating Vehicles While Distracted. Oh, hey look, I just invented a new text phrase, while putting on eyeliner, eating a biscuit, jamming to some tunes, reading my favorite book. Now, where did I put my beer? Oh yeah, it’s in the backseat with my screaming child that I have to drop off at the day care, of which I’ll already be late for, because I have to work to pay the bills, for which I’m already late on …OH CRUD! There goes a cop! I better slow down. I hope he didn’t see me texting this.
HAHAHA
That was funny, dank24563; you made my day by saying that!
new texting law
A 20 dollar fine for texting while driving? What a joke. Texting is just as dangerous as drunk driving.
Oh man...figures
So if I get one more DUI I gotta blow into a drunklock on my moped before I can't drive it on the highway anymore? I just learned how to ride the damn thing no-hands so I can text on it, too :( Next you're gonna tell me I have to wear a helmet...huh? Oh...
For all those who think this isn't a problem
check this story
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=ap-texas-kindlecrash&prov=ap&type=lgns
still think it's a law not worth passing.
This law is a joke!
What is not is the outcome of what this joke intends to curb, a T-Bone accident caused by utter negligence!
This is just another example of accountability waning in our society.
Too bad texting and driving is a secondary offense
I was hoping for a primary offense, $500.00 fine and 4-6 points on the license. That might cull the herd some, then again probably not.
No Good Law
Why make a law like this if its only a secondary offense. In other words a cop can ride beside someone texting and can do nothing. If the law is aimed at preventing accidents, police should have the authority to stop the vehicle BEFORE a crash occurs. The largest single reason accidents occur in Virginia is driver inattention but there is no law to address driver inattention. So drivers text, put on makeup, read, play with their pet, look for something in the back seat, etc., and there is no law to prevent it. Brilliant!
By woohoo2008: "Why only
By woohoo2008: "Why only outlaw texting???? What about all the folks who are eating, reading books, putting on makeup, shaving, using the computer, talking on the phone, singing and dancing with both hands off the wheel. Are we saying these folks are safer than the texters?"
Good point woohoo. I'm glad you brought this up!
Whether it gets enforced effectively or not doesn't matter that much. What matters is when those who rear-end the car in front of them, or cause something much worse, are caught using their phone at the moment the accident took place. Not hard to prove either, everything's right there on the cell phone and logged with the carrier service. Now that's it becoming law, I hope it will wake some people up! Those that are ignorant of unsafe driving habits will just have to learn the hard way. Youtube has some good footage of texters and accidents.
Drive safe!!!
There should be...
a ZERO tolerance for drinking and driving. The BAC level should be .0000! You do that and then you don't have people sitting at a bar trying to figure out if they are sober enough. That way they know as soon as they drink even "just 1 beer" they can't drive. Zero tolerance for texting/distracted driving is a great idea but it should be consistent across the board. Everyone have a nice SAFE weekend and God bless America!
texting law
Who's braing child was it and which reps voted for it.
Republicans? Ha!
This is complete liberal way of having the government involved in everything.Its all about control. reading a text is no different then reading a map, or settign your GPS. And how do you prove it? my phone deletes all sent and received messages insantly, for a $20 fine do you think they will order copies from your service provider?
It cant be proven!
DWD
Driving While Distracted should be a separate charge in the event of an accident or fatality, and it should carry heavy fines or jail time. You don’t have to look far, the evidence will be right there in the phone.
Really?
Will it be stopped by the same folks who have stopped the drunk drivers? If so, then texting will no doubt continue at it's same pace. Can you really police such habits successfully? It's going to be difficult at the very least.
Shouldn't Need Law-JUST DRIVE!
We ALL took driving lessons and/or TEST. Why do people need laws to do the right thing? JUST DRIVE THE CAR! If you hurt someone because you were doing something you shouldn't have, I'd hate to be you, and have to live with that forever.
lol
idk OMG!! lol another law that won't be enforced :)