Legislative Update
February 22, 2008
BILL TARGETS TEXT-MESSAGING DRIVERS; $50 FINE PROPOSED
A bill being proposed in the state Senate would place a $50 fine on
anyone caught text messaging while driving.
"It's very dangerous," said Sen. Jim Tracy, a Shelbyville Republican who
is sponsoring the proposal. "You're looking down and punching keys. It's
hard to do that."
Only two states, Washington and New Jersey, prohibit driving while
texting, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. One
major city, Phoenix, also bans the activity.
The Bill was heard Wednesday by the Senate Transportation Committee,
which decided to delay a vote for two weeks. It has not been heard in
the House yet.
As written now, the Tennessee proposal would ban drivers from reading or
sending text messages while their vehicle is in motion.
Violations would be a Class C misdemeanor, but citations would not
become part of a driver's record, Tracy said.
One modification being considered is incorporating texting while driving
into the state's distracted-driving law.
An estimated 3,900 citations for text messaging while driving are
estimated per year, according to a fiscal note attached to the bill.
Source: 105th General Assembly |
Law and Rules
