Texting behind the wheel, one step from becoming illegal

Arizona senate approved a bill banning texting while driving on March 22. Photo by Haleigh Krantz

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Written by Staff Writer - Haleigh Krantz

On March 22 the Arizona senate approved a bill that will ban texting while driving. The bill prohibits the use of any technical device to write, send, and read a written message while driving. It doesn’t include making or receiving calls. The 19 to 10 vote is the first time a bill like this has been approved. During the past three legislative sessions, similar bills have been sponsored, but none gathered enough strength to be passed. Violators of the new legislation could face a $50 fine, but if the driver is involved in an accident on top of the violation, the penalty would be $200.

Advocates of the legislation say the bill will improve highway safety and prevent accidents by making it illegal to text while drive. Numerous studies have been conducted testing drivers reaction times while writing or reading a text message. ‘Car & Driver Magazine’ showed that the reaction times of people texting while behind the wheel are startlingly slower than drivers that aren’t texting.  According to their study, the reaction time of the test subjects while texting was even slower than the reaction time of test subjects that were intoxicated. Study results like these are what encouraged legislators to propose a ban on texting while driving.

However, opponents of the bill say that it ‘dilutes’ existing law. Currently, someone who is texting while behind the wheel can already be charged with reckless driving. The penalty for a reckless driving charge in comparison to the penalty for the new bill is much more extreme, with possible jail time and a suspended license.

Although the Senate has approved the texting ban, it is not yet a law. The bill still needs committee approval before going to the House floor for a vote. At least twenty other states have laws banning texting while driving. If the House successfully approves the legislation, the bill would become law effective January 2011.