This weekend marks the second anniversary of the horrific crash that killed five teenage girls from the Rochester, N.Y., area. Investigators found that the driver was text messaging just before the girls' SUV collided with a truck. New York's cities and counties have been actively banning text messaging by drivers in the years since the crash. Ontario County, where the teenagers' crash occurred, outlawed texting while driving in April. (July 17 update: A ban on texting while driving has been approved by the Senate and Assembly, and now awaits the governor's signature. It is expected to take … [Read more...]
N.Y. Assembly OKs texting ban
June 17, 2009 by 1 Comment
The drawn-out drama over a statewide New York ban on text messaging while driving could be headed for a happy ending. The New York Assembly on June 17 approved a bill that bans texting while on the road. Assembly Bill 8568 also places more restrictions on teen drivers. Violations would bring a $150 fine. "I'm optimistic that we will get it done as soon as the Senate reconvenes," said Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, D-Brooklyn, referring to a leadership battle that has paralyzed the upper legislative body. Ortiz (pictured) saw his stalled text-messaging legislation get new life as it was … [Read more...]
No more texting for N.C. drivers
June 10, 2009 by Leave a Comment
North Carolina's Legislature has banned text messaging by all drivers. HB 9 cleared the Senate and was ratified on Thursday, June 9, 2009. The North Carolina anti-texting legislation was sent to Gov. Beverly Perdue, who has indicated she will sign it. The House vote was nearly unanimous, but the Senate result was split 30-18, with the usual issues raised by Republicans about the difficulty of enforcement. The North Carolina texting law goes into effect Dec. 1 barring a change heart by the governor. Fines for most drivers will be $100 in addition to court costs. No points or insurance … [Read more...]
Illinois texting bill gets final OK
May 19, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Illinois Rep. John D’Amico predicted early in the legislative season that distracted-driving legislation would get "a lot of traction" this year. He was right. D'Amico's HB 71 and HB 72 have been approved by the House and Senate, with the Senate's vote coming May 19. Both bills were given final approval in the House on May 28 and sent to Gov. Pat Quinn. Illinois House Bill 71 seeks to ban text messaging while driving. In an unusual provision, texting would be permitted if the vehicle is stopped in traffic. The earlier approval by the Illinois House came on on April 1. The votes were 89-27 in … [Read more...]
Tennessee outlaws texting while driving
May 15, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen has signed into law a ban on text messaging while driving, as expected. Enforcement will begin July 1. The Tennessee ban on text messaging while driving comes with a $50 fine for violators and $10 court costs. It is a non-moving offense, meaning no points are added to the driver’s license and there are no insurance problems. Enforcement is expected to come into play when drivers commit other violations or get into accidents, law enforcement agencies indicated after the May 13 signing. The Senate bill went through a lot of push-and-pull before crossing the desk … [Read more...]
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