Drivers Should Stop Texting While Driving

Ben Glass

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Del. James Scott (D-Fairfax) believes that enough adults in Virginia are attempting to send text messages while driving, which could potentially result in personal injury, that he wants to ban the practice. He has filed in advance of the 2008 General Assembly session a bill that would prohibit operating a vehicle while sending text messages.

Scott admitted that usually, it takes several years before driving bans are passed. The potential penalty for violations of the proposed law was not listed in the text.
Scott said that the act of text messaging while driving has already been banned in the state of Washington and has been discussed in the National Conference of State Legislatures.
In 2007, a bill was passed by the General Assembly which made it illegal for 16 and 17-year-olds to talk on cell phones or send text messages during the act of driving. The sponsor of that bill, Sen. Jay O'Brien (R-Fairfax) took three years to secure passage of the bill.
The process of text messaging requires the use of the fingers to send a written message through one's cell phone or other electronic device, like a Blackberry.
A poll last year by AAA and Seventeen magazine of 16 and 17-year-olds revealed that 46% send text messages on their phone while driving their vehicles.