Southern states fight texting while driving

Jun 7, 2011

“Always wear your seatbelt” and “Don’t drink and drive” are just two of the regular and more fashionable catch phrases one usually hears when learning to operate a vehicle — but the new black has arrived and it sounds a bit like “Put the distraction aside — don’t text and drive!”

Several states from around the South are stepping up to protect drivers from this hazardous behavior. The most recent endeavor comes from Kentucky’s House of Representatives via House Bill 43, which would ban all uses of a cell phone for drivers under the age of 18 while in a moving vehicle. The measure was approved with 80 votes and is now headed to the Kentucky State Senate for consideration.

Kentucky does not stand alone in this fight. Other states, such as Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana and Virginia have stepped up their efforts to protect drivers from the consequences of driving distractedly.

Their efforts are nicely outlined by the Governor’s Highway Safety Association, which can be found at the link below:

http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html