Handheld personal communications device; texting while driving primary offense. (HB212)
Introduced By
Del. David Bulova (D-Fairfax) with support from 11 copatrons, whose average partisan position is:
Progress
√ |
Introduced |
X |
Passed Committee |
☐ |
Passed House |
☐ |
Passed Senate |
☐ |
Signed by Governor |
☐ |
Became Law |
Description
Use of handheld personal communications devices in motor vehicles; penalty. Makes texting while driving a primary offense. View Full Text »
Outcome
Bill Has Failed
View Bill's History
Comments
How do you prove if someone is texting while driving?
Public Safety - Telework
A time stamp is associated with every text message—match that up with a police dash camera and you've got yourself a pretty good case.
That's certainly not perfect, though. When I pick my wife up from work every day, I send her a text when I'm a few blocks away. I write that text when I first get in the car, so I just have to press the "send" button when I want to send it 5-10 minutes later. The evidence would show that I was in violation of the law, although I imagine reasonable people can agree that such an action presents no greater danger than turning on the radio.
All this bill does is make it a primary offense instead of a secondary offense.
I read this today "The subcommittee of the House Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee was unmoved by testimony that several studies have found a strong connection between highway crashes and cell phone use by drivers." in their inept decision not to pass this bill. I guess we'll have see how "moved" they are when one is subjected to a non-offending texter inattention!