Texting While Driving Ban in Effect

In drivers’ education classes, teenagers are taught to keep their hands at 10 and 2 on the wheel. But more and more frequently, teenagers – and many other drivers, for that matter – have been driving with one hand on the wheel and one hand on their cell phone, sending out a quick text message while driving.

However, effective July 1, drivers in Virginia are prohibited from driving while texting, or DWT. DWT is a secondary offense, so texting drivers can only be pulled over if they have done something else wrong, too. Then they can face an additional fine of $20 for the first offense and up to $50 for subsequent offenses.

Additionally, if a driver’s texting is suspected to be the cause of a car accident, police officials may access phone records and fine the driver.

Last year, there were 28,395 crashes in Virginia involving driver distraction. In these accidents, 114 people died and 14,480 were injured, the Virginia DMV reported.

Operators of emergency vehicles and people reporting an emergency or driver who is parked are exceptions to the DWT ban.

The vlingo Corp. released a study in May 2008 that detailed text message behavior. It revealed that 55 percent of respondents send text messages, and 28 percent admit to DWT. However, 78 percent of respondents thought that DWT should be illegal.

A dozen states and the District of Columbia prohibit drivers from sending or reading text messages while driving. Maryland will enact a similar ban, effective October 1, which will fine drivers up to $500.

New laws in Virginia, passed by the General Assembly, will also allow the courts to suspend a minor’s driving privileges if he has 10 or more consecutive unexcused absences from school. The laws also ban driving certain mopeds, motorized scooters, and electric-powered bicycles and wheelchairs on the highway.

Drunken driving penalties were made more severe, as well. If a motorist is convicted of a DUI offense for the second time within 10 years, the person must install an ignition interlock system – a device on the car’s dashboard, which motorists must exhale into – on all the vehicles they own or co-own to obtain restricted driving privileges during the three-year revocation, or full driving privileges at the end of the revocation period. If the ignition interlock system registers the driver’s breath as greater than the programmed alcohol concentration - usually 0.02 or 0.04 percent - the vehicle will not start, the DMV Web site said. The previous time frame was for a second DUI offense in five years.

Crash prevention courses are now offered online to drivers age 55 years and older, also effective July 1. Some insurance companies will also reduce premium charges to drivers who complete these courses.