The argument that the sender of a text message could be held liable for a crash has been shot down by a New Jersey judge. The widely publicized case involved a distracted driving crash in which a husband and wife each lost a leg. They were riding a motorcycle in Mine Hill when struck by the driver of a pickup truck. The girlfriend of the young man driving the pickup truck text messaged him just before the accident. The driver responded with a text seconds before hitting the motorcycle. Kyle Best, 18 at the time of the 2009 accident, admitted that he had been texting on his cell phone before … [Read more...]
Archives for May 2012
Ohio OKs weakened texting law
May 16, 2012 by 2 Comments
Ohio's long-running debate over distracted driving reached a major turning point as legislation banning texting and driving advanced to a receptive governor. The measure, however, did not succeed without controversy. The Senate heavily amended the original House proposal, limiting most enforcement to secondary status. The House went along, and House Bill 99 was sent to Gov. John Kasich, who indicated he would sign it. The law goes into effect 90 days after Kasich's approval. A warning period will begin at that time, with ticketing on hold for six months. The fine is $150. Ohio most likely … [Read more...]
No. 38: Alabama bans texting & driving
May 9, 2012 by 4 Comments
Starting Aug. 1, text messaging while driving will be illegal in the state of Alabama. Gov. Robert Bentley signed off on the distracted driving legislation May 8. The law was a long time coming. The bill's author is state Rep. Jim McClendon, left, one of the nation's most persistent lawmakers when it comes to distracted driving. McClendon, R-Springville, saw his distracted driving legislation rejected or ignored at least six times. In 2011 and 2012, McClendon's texting and driving bills cleared the House only to die in the Senate. This year, the Senate played ball. A compromise deal was … [Read more...]
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