Senate Passes Bill Restricted Texting

The Virginia Senate voted 28-12 to pass a bill that will, if approved by the House of Delegates and signed into law, make it a primary offense to text message while driving a car.

That change would allow police officers to pull motorists over for texting, whereas current laws relegate it to being a secondary offense that can only be cited if there is another reason to stop a vehicle. The bill previously passed the Senate Courts of Justice Committee and Senate Transportation Committee, and The Associated Press reports that no one spoke against it on the Senate floor.

Some lawmakers have voiced objections to the bill on the grounds that it is unnecessary, saying that officers can stop motorists engaged in reckless driving whether texting is involved or not. They have also stated it may be difficult for police officers to recognize whether someone is texting or doing something else.

If successful in improving safety by giving law enforcement officers more scope to crack down, this may reduce injuries and benefit drivers by lowering Virginia auto insurance rates, which are calculated based on the risk of a crash. Research suggests texting contributes to a significant number of car accidents each year


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