There's a growing movement to ban texting while driving, and motorists in several states could be forgiven for not understanding the various nuances. Unfortunately, law enforcement may not have the same mercy, especially in states like Maryland where the details of the law were up for debate in the legislature.
In the Old Line State, senators added amendments to a law that would ban not just texting while driving, but the reading of messages while operating motor vehicles as well. Legislative hang-ups mean that Marylanders can read, but not transmit text messages, while driving there. Still, using a cell phone while driving has become more restricted, even if motorists can use them to text while idling or at a stop unlike in other states.
Iowa is more clear, banning all texting while driving under a law recently signed by Governor Chet Culver that takes effect July 1. It extends the provisions to all mobile telephone use by younger drivers. The first year is a trial period, but law enforcement can be begin ticketing for the offense if the motorist is under the age of 19. Fines start at $30 beginning in 2011.
Kentucky is set to join Iowa and become the tipping state for legislation against driving while using a cell phone. If passed, Kentucky would become the 25th state to ban talking on a mobile device for younger drivers while operating a motor vehicle, and the 22nd to ban texting by drivers of any age.
Only the governor's signing is left, and the penalties are particularly strict for those who may have just completed defensive driving courses: permit holders and provisionally-licensed drivers would have to wait another 180 days to move to the next stage of the graduated driving program in the Bluegrass State.
The penalties are set to begin on January 1, 2011, with initial fines of $25 and repeat offenders receiving citations of $50. Motorists will receive warnings in the interim to increase public awareness if the bill is signed into law, according to several state officials.
The problem has grown so large that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has created a sample bill that states can use to outlaw texting while driving to speed up the process at a regional level.
"Texting while driving, like talking on cell phones while driving, is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening practice," said Secretary LaHood. "This language, which we created with a variety of safety organizations, is another powerful tool in our arsenal to help the states combat this serious threat."
Distracted driving led to the loss of lives of nearly 6,000 Americans in 2008, and the NHTSA noted that the worst offenders were less experienced drivers. The agency has even created a website devoted to stopping the practice. Other entities, such as
online traffic schools, offer defensive driving and driver safety programs that cover topics like texting while driving and the dangers of cellphone use in a moving vehicle.
Iowan and Kentuckian drivers who still continue to text may want to consider a defensive driving course to bone up on the specifics on the new legislation, but at least they have it better than truckers and bus drivers. Repeat violators there would face a four-month suspension if convicted of three violations over a thirty-six month period.
