Texting while driving illegal Sept. 1

Gov. Abbott calls for special legislative session

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed the ban into law Tuesday, June 6, ending a decade-long effort by safety advocates to reduce potentially deadly driver distractions on the road.

Texas will become one of the last states to adopt a texting while driving ban when the law takes effect Sept. 1. Texting would be punishable by a fine of up to $99 for first-time offenders and $200 for repeat offenses. According to the Governor's Highway Safety Association, Arizona, Missouri and Montana will be the only states without a texting while driving ban.

Dozens of Texas cities already ban texting while driving. The state law covers texting only and prohibits the use of hand-held phones to read, write or send an electronic message while driving. Other Internet use for navigation or music programs is allowed.

Abbott said Tuesday that when lawmakers meet in special session in July and August, he wants them to pass a state law that will roll back any local ordinances that ban mobile device use beyond texting while driving. "We don't need a patchwork of regulations across the state,” Abbott said.

To read the full article, subscribe to the Wills Point Chronicle or pick up a copy from one of our vendors.