Alabama House Votes to Ban Texting While Driving

Article

The Alabama House is making a second attempt to ban texting while driving

The House voted 86-2 last Thursday for legislation sponsored by Republican Rep. Jim McClendon of Springville. He got a similar bill passed last year, only to see it die in the Senate. Some senators who opposed the bill last year didn’t come back after the November legislative elections, and that makes McClendon optimistic.

“It is my hope with the Senate we have now that is not going to happen,” he said.

The Governors Highway Safety Association reports that 30 states already ban texting while driving.

McClendon’s bill would make texting while driving a primary offense, which means officers could pull over drivers for texting without seeing any other offense. Fines would be $25 for a first offense, $50 for a second offense and $75 for subsequent offenses. Court costs, which vary from county to county, would also apply.

McClendon said the bill would save lives. “The purpose of this bill is to keep eyes on the highway and hands on the wheel,” he said.

An opponent, Democratic Rep. Alvin Holmes of Montgomery, said police will use it to target black drivers and issue more tickets.

“This is a wicked bill,” he said.