Arizona Bill Banning Texting While Driving Dies in Senate

The Arizona Senate in an 11-11 vote failed to pass a bill that would have banned texting on a cell phone while driving.

If it had passed, SB 1334 would have imposed fines of $50 for from operating a motor vehicle on a highway while using a handheld cellular telephone or a handheld personal digital assistant to write, send or read a written message. If the driver was in an accident while using a handheld device, the penalty would have been $200.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 19 states and the District of Columbia have enacted bans on texting while driving: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and Washington.

Meanwhile, the state Senate also is a considering a bill, SB 1271, that would require the State Board of Education to provide professional liability insurance to all certified teachers in the state.

For more information on the bills, visit http://www.azleg.gov/Bills.asp.

Source: Arizona Legislature

Topics Personal Auto Politics