The Virginian-Pilot
©
RICHMOND
Virginia’s ban on sending text messages or emails while driving will remain as-is, at least for this year.
A House Militia, Police and Public Safety subcommittee this morning killed the last remaining bills that would have strengthened the law, with subcommittee Chair Del. Ben Cline, R-Rockbridge County, saying they hope to look at the best way to alter the ban before the 2013 legislative session.
One of the remaining bills, by Sen. George Barker, D-Fairfax County, would have made sending a text message while driving a primary offense, meaning officers would no longer need a primary offense, such as speeding, to pull someone over for the violation. The other would have made any cellphone use while driving on a provisional license, such as those held by minors, a primary offense.
Seven other bills looking to strengthen the ban, which the General Assembly passed in 2009, already died in that subcommittee. Some of the measures mirrored Barker’s, while others looked to ban all cellphone use will driving unless making calls with a hands-free headset and increase the penalties for breaking the law.
Cline said he supports strengthening the prohibition, but thinks legislators need to first study how best to accomplish that goal. He suggested repealing the current law and adding texting-while-driving to the list of offenses punishable under the reckless driving statute, which would make the violation a class 1 misdemeanor punishable by a $2,500 fine and up to a year in jail.
Opponents of that idea worry prosecuting text-while-driving as a misdemeanor may make police hesitant to charge drivers otherwise obeying traffic laws. Proponents say the current law makes charging drivers too difficult.
Barker’s measures had support from AAA and Drive Smart Virginia, a traffic safety group. He said research has shown 1 in 100 drivers send text messages or emails while driving and are 23 times more likely to crash.
“It’s not an insignificant danger for people,” he said. “We’ve all had it happen to us.”
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May cost them money, but won't reduce their use
Will new laws reduce distracted driving? I looked at the NHTSA and CDC tables for drunk driving since every state adopted the drunk driving .08 standard in 2004 for evidence. Its about 9-10k killed every year due to drunk driving; At least 114 mil times behind the wheel drunk in 2010[CDC]. The solution that WILL succeed are efforts to integrate alcohol sensors into the car requiring biometric info to prevent starting. They can pass the law, but the stats won't change. You will still see alot of the texting and cell use - everywhere. I'm still in favor of it so it will cost that person some money, but I won't delude myself on its effectiveness. We need wider adoption of auto and cellular integration like onstar/sync to combat the practice.
tex driving
this just shows these so clows we put in richmond care less about safty and afred one of thiers jkids will be caught what real patsys and jokers
political BS
It is a known fact that talking and texting while driving distracts attention from what is going on around you. I for the life of me cannot understand why being on a cell phone while driving has not been outlawed.
political BS ?
and I for the life of ME have yet to figure out why driving with a dog in your lap is not illegal?
no distraction there when FIDO on your lap with paws on the steering wheel.
I would venture to guess
I would venture to guess that there are far more people driving and using cell phones than there are lap dogs in the drivers seat.
It will take one of those
It will take one of those persons working on the bill to have a loved one killed or maimed from someone texting and driving to make a change. Unfortunately, by then it is too late. I hope those who opposed passing this law never have to experience such a tragedy.
ban is useless and intrusive
Come on people, does anyone actually think other than increasing the number of fines drivers will get, that it will have any safety impact? All it does is increase the amount of money parents will pay thru fines their "children" will receive in addition to what happens already. Wanna save a great many lives, or improve the safety of our road/highways for adults? Ban driving for anyone under the age of 18. That significantly reduce texting while driving problems, deaths of "children" on our highways, introduction of alchohol/drugs and lying to parents of their whereabouts...etc. etc. etc. Otherwise this just increases harrassment for the majority and the picking of our pockets. I'm tellin' yeah, most bang is to ban underage driving period.
This has a strong smell of
This has a strong smell of the cell phone imdustry.
Follow Maryland
All Virginia legislators need to do is read, copy and approve Maryland's law that bans handheld cellphone use while driving. Easy to understand, easy to see if somebody is abusing it and fine them. Lives saved because more people might actually pay attention to their driving and do simple things like maintain their speed and use turn signals.
how many must die or suffer disabling injury. . .
...before strong measures against vehicle operator cell phone use while driving is enacted. That would be measures stronger than drinking while driving which causes less devastation than cell phone and driving use does.