NEW STATE-WIDE TEXTING LAW TAKES EFFECT
Effective as of today (Friday) texting while driving is illegal across the state of Texas.
The move comes as the result of a new texting-while-driving ban passed during the 85th Texas Legislative Session.
The law prohibits motorists from reading, writing or sending electronic messages while driving.
TxDOT Executive Director James Bass says the new law sends a very clear message to Texans to put down their phones and focus on the road.
Last year, nearly 110,000 traffic crashes in Texas involved distracted driving. Those crashes resulted in 455 deaths and over 3,000 serious injuries.
Distracted drivers now face penalties under the new statewide law. A first offense is punishable by a fine up to $99; any subsequent offense carries a fine up to $200.
Some cities have additional ordinances that are more restrictive. Exceptions to the new law include emergency communication or electronic messaging when the vehicle is stopped.
I totally understand trying to make the roads safer, but this one is a swing n miss. First understand that the court system at its very core is a money making business, more traffic laws more traffic fines. And second, those numbers are vague on purpose, its a tool used to scare the majority of the public into thinking a that a law change was a must, theres no chance those numbers will go down because of this. The fact is the number of young “on the go” drivers on the roads increases each year by a huge amount (and a large number dont even have a TX DL) and with more drivers spending more time on the roads accidents will always increase too
So….how will this be enforced? If an officer sees someone looking down while the vehicle is moving , will he/she stop the driver and want to see the phone? If so, that gets very tricky….attorneys and educators of the Constitution will know what multiple issues this arises……
Cheap fines there going to keep on doing it. They need to do like when they pull over somebody with drugs take the phone and don’t give it back
Absolutely agree!
The law should be that only ‘Hands-Free’ conversations are allowed as well. Tired of seeing people engrossed in conversations with their phones to their ear or held in hand talking while driving – totally oblivious to anything and anyone around them. Fines need to START at $500 for first offense. Loss of phone at second offense and much higher fines.
This risk has got to stop!
Is this “Hands Free?” or none at all?