Texting while driving ban killed in committee
Air Date:02/01/2012
A legislative committee has killed a measure banning texting while driving. House Bill 1129 makes reading or writing text messages while driving a Class 2 Misdemeanor.
Dick Tiezen is lobbyist for State Farm Insurance. Tiezen says, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Board, 15 people die every day because of texting while driving.
“With the significant tolls that we’re taking with texting and distracted driving it does warrant that we engage in some sort of regulation of this. Please don’t wait until we see more and more of these tragic accidents on our highways before we decide we’re gonna do something,” says Tiezen.
Oppponents say a ban on texting while driving is not enforceable. Others say House Bill 1129 is too narrow in scope and should include all cell phone use and other forms of distracted driving.
The House State Affairs committee killed the bill by a vote of 10 to 3.
By Jackelyn Severin
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