At the beginning of the Legislative Session, two bills were introduced on the matter of texting while driving. House Bill 299, filed by Rep. Ray Pilon, never even made it to a vote at the Transportation and Highway Safety Subcommittee.  Sen. Nancy Detert, the sponsor of SB 416, had a bit more luck. Her proposition was approved in numerous votes in the Senate Transportation Committee, the Communications, Energy and Public Utilities Committee and the Senate’s transportation budget subcommittee.

Despite all of these good news, Sen. Detert had trouble to actually get a hearing from her fellow Senators, a situation she could not understand.

“I wish they would hear it,” she said. “Then they would understand it’s a secondary offense. It’s strictly texting. I’m not trying to take the cellphone out of your cold dead hand. I’m just saying stop weaving into my lane.”

For Brad Coker, managing director of Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, lawmakers should take a moment and listen to their voters.

“If I’m a legislator, this is a no-brainer for me to vote for,” said Coker.  ”There’s been very, very good public relations done nationwide, and even in Florida, that this is dangerous to do, and that’s obviously getting through.”

Both bills against texting while driving have now died as the Legislative Session ended.

Source: The Ledger, March 27, 2012; Tampa Bay Times, January 28, 2012

In a 53-17 vote, the Idaho House of Representative has approved SB 1274 which would outlaw texting while driving.  Violations would earn drivers an $85 fine, but under a House amendment, no points would be accumulated against the driver’s licence.

Rep. Rich Wills, a former State Police trooper, voiced his support for SB 12747.

“I believe this year we can leave a lasting legacy for Idaho families,” he said.

For Rep. Julie Ellsworth, one of the representatives behind the legislation, it is time to send a strong message to Idaho drivers that texting while driving is a dangerous behavior.

“There is just something cultural now with this texting thing,” she said. “We need to send a message as lawmakers and leaders of this state that we’re not going to do it while driving.”

The bill is being sent back to the Senate after the House voted an amendment to remove the exception for law officers, as well as any points being put against a driver’s license.

Source:  Lewiston Tribute, March 21, 2012; Associated Press, March 20, 2012

The Senate and the House compromised on SB 211 to make texting while driving and talking on a handheld cell phone illegal. Effective July 1, a motorist caught texting or talking while driving would receive a $100 fine for a first violation, and up to $300 fine after from a third violation.

The compromise came regarding the law enforcement. Senate lawmakers wanted to make the cell phone ban a secondary offense, while House representatives were expecting both bans to be a primary offense. Under the adopted version, the cell phone ban will start off as a secondary offense only to become a primary offense in July 2013.

“We feel texting while driving is a much more serious thing,” said Senate Judiciary Chairman Corey Palumbo

For Sen.  Orphy Klempa, it should give enough time for people to prepare.

“Give them the first year to get accustomed to the law.  They’ll have to get a wired headset or get a blue tooth or some other means of using the phone instead of having one up to the ear.”

Once Gov. Tomblin signs the legislation, West Virginia will become the 10^th state to prohibit handheld cell phone while driving.

Source: Saturday Gazette-Mail, March 10, 2012

Members of the House of Representative in South Carolina have voted in favor of making texting while driving illegal in a 93-15 vote. As per House Bill 4451, getting caught texting while driving would translate into fines up to $150. While the original bill version included several dissuasive measures such as higher fines and imprisonment for causing an accident while texting, a heavily amended version of the bill was eventually the one approved by Representatives.

For the bill’s sponsor, Don Bowen, it is time for South Carolina to act up on such a dangerous habit.

“It’s about technology getting ahead of keeping our roads safe,” he said. “No texting while driving is a no brainer.”

Some, such as Rep. Boyd Brown, still think the bill should not restrict itself to texting, but that instead it should cover all driving distractions.

“We need to be introducing meaningful legislation not piecemeal legislation,” he said.

The bill is now being sent to the Senate where it might face some strong opposition. In 2010, a similar bill was approved by the House only to be rejected by members of the Senate.

Source:  The Item, March 8, 2012

The House voted against a bill that could have made texting while driving illegal in a split, 31-28 vote. House Bill 2312 was looking to outlaw distracted driving by requiring from accident investigators to look if an involved person was engaged in distracted driving at the time of the traffic accident.  While the House was initially in favor of HB 2312, the vote shows that some Representative had a change of thought after realizing that the bill could also apply to texting while driving.

There are still some hopes for the next few weeks. SB  1056, which would prohibit drivers with learner’s permits and drivers under 18 years old who have had their class G licenses for less than six months to use a cell phone, was approved by the Senate and is now awaiting a vote from the House. HB 2512, a proposition to ban texting while driving in Arizona, was given the green light by the House Transportation Committee in January and was also transmitted to the House.

In 2011, several texting bans were introduced in the Arizona Legislature, but none of them received approval from the House.

Source: KTAR, March 5, 2012

Last week, House Bill 2, which would make texting while driving illegal in the state, was unanimously approved in a 92-0 vote. Under the proposed measure, first time offenders would be hit by a $25 fine, up to a maximum of $75 for repeating offenders. An amendment to increase the amount of the fines was debated, but ultimately it got rejected in a 67-15 vote.

While texting while driving laws created some divisions between House members in the past, it looks like numerous House representatives had a change of thought after witnessing a car crash caused by a driving distraction.

“I think it’s appalling when you’re at a traffic light and look over and see what’s taking up the attention of other drivers,” said Rep. Randy Davis.

Others, like Rep. Alvin Holmes, were moved after hearing horror stories from Alabama drivers.

“I changed my mind. I saw a young lady come that close to death with an 18-wheeler because of texting,” he said.

The bill is now hoping for approval by the Senate.

Source: Associated Press, February 21, 2012

Secretary LaHood recently proposed voluntary guidelines for car manufacturers regarding driving distractions. Among the different proposals, a recommendation was made to design equipment that would automatically disable distractions such as a cell phone, texting or web browsing, once a car is in motion.

The National Transportation Safety Board will hold public hearings over the next 60 days over the issue. For NHTSA Administrator David Strickland, it is time to acknowledge the support that the automobile industry can provide.

“We recognize that vehicle manufacturers want to build vehicles that include the tools and conveniences expected by today’s American drivers,” said Strickland. “The guidelines we’re proposing would offer real-world guidance to automakers to help them develop electronic devices that provide features consumers want without disrupting a driver’s attention or sacrificing safety.”

For the vice president of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, there are some distractions that even car makers won’t be able to fight.

“Drivers are going to have conversations, listen to music and read maps while driving, and automakers are helping them do this more safely with integrated hands-free systems that help drivers focus on the road,” said Gloria Bergquist.

A recent government survey found that one out of five motorists admitted to texting while driving.

Source: Associated Press, February 17, 2012

In a 34-0 vote, the West Virginia Senate approved SB 211 which would prohibit drivers from using a wireless communication device without hands-free equipment. While the initial proposition made the bill a secondary enforcement law with fines ranging from $100 to $400, members of the Senate had a different idea. An amendment was adopted to make SB 211 a primary enforcement law, but to lower the fines from $50 to $200.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Corey Palumbo expressed his support to the Governor, saying various researches over the past few years had proven the dangers of texting while driving.

“I think everyone realizes how dangerous it is,” he said. “We’ve seen statistically it’s four or five times more dangerous than drinking and driving, and no one in their right mind would suggest we should make that a secondary offense.”

The bill has been transmitted to the House for a full vote.

Currently, it is illegal for drivers with learner’s permits, intermediate license and school bus drivers to text while driving on the streets of West Virginia.

Source: Charleston Daily Mail, February 7, 2012

Sponsored by Sen. Billy Hudson, SB 2121 appears to be the toughest proposition.  More than banning texting while driving, it would prohibit drivers from using a cell phone without a hands-free device, and additionally, ban young drivers from using their cell phone from their vehicle. Violating the law would result in a $500 fine, which would double if the drivers were to cause an accident.

“There are just so many bad things that can happen when drivers are distracted by their phones,” said Sen. Hudson.

The other two proposals so far, SB 2122 and 2240, would only outlaw text messages while driving. Sen. Nancy Collins, the woman behind SB 2240, said she was reminded of the importance of the issue by a high school student who had made texting while driving his senior project.

“What we want is increased safety,” she said. “You have to pay attention.”

Mississippi currently bans bus drivers, as well as rivers with an intermediate license, a temporary learning permit or a temporary driving permit, from texting while driving.

Source: Clarion Ledger, February 3, 2012

As opposed to its predecessor, House Bill 255 explicitly prohibits motorists from reading or typing a text message from a cell phone or any electronic device while driving a motor vehicle.

The House Transportation Committee heard arguments from one of the bill sponsors, Rep. Les Gara, as many questioned if HB 255 would make up for the current law’s flaws.

“It’s carefully worded so not just today’s technology but tomorrow’s technology is addressed,” said Gara.

The House Representative pushed the Transportation Committee to adopt the proposed bill in order to ensure safety on the roads of Alaska.

“I think you only really need one fact, and that is according to the National Conference on State Legislators, drivers who text while they drive are 20 times more likely to have an accident than people who don’t text,” Gara said.

The bill has now been referred to the Judiciary Committee for its next hearing.

Source: Associated Press, January 26, 2011