Home » Law and Legal Articles » Alabama's Legislature Reacts to Texting While Driving Statistics
Alabama's Legislature Reacts to Texting While Driving Statistics
Alabama Rep. Jim McClendon proposed legislation to ban texting while operating a vehicle. The proposed bill would mandate a $25 fine for a person's first offense, a $50 fine for a second, and a $75 fine for the third.
September 10, 2011 /Law and Legal PR News/ -- Alabama's Legislature Reacts to Texting While Driving Statistics
Alabama's Center for Advanced Public Safety report that from August 2009 to August 2010, over 1,400 crashes attributable to distracted driving occurred. The most notorious distraction currently, of course, is none other than texting on a cell phone.
The Anniston Star reports Alabama State Rep. Jim McClendon proposed legislation to place a complete ban on texting while operating a vehicle. The goal of this legislation is to deter drivers from using their phones to text while behind a wheel. Rep. McClendon unsuccessfully proposed a similar bill in 2010, but the 2011 version quickly passed the House and was set-aside for further consideration in the Senate.
Proposed Punishments
Alabama Local News (AL.com) states the proposed bill would mandate a $25 fine for a person's first offense, a $50 fine for a second, and a $75 fine for the third.
Although these fines are not exceedingly steep, they are viewed by many as an improvement. Alabama previously banned only minors possessing a restricted license from texting or otherwise using their cell phone while driving. Alabama did not prevent others from using their cell phone while operating a vehicle, which often lead to distracted driving accidents.
Enforcement Complications
Police units around Alabama believe the new texting while driving law, if eventually passed, will be hard to enforce. An officer would have to catch a driver in the act, which can be very difficult while driving down a highway or busy city street.
However, regardless of enforcement difficulties, Anniston police Sgt. Scott Grissom told the Anniston Star that they would rather have this new law in place than not. He believes any deterrence, however small, can make the roads safer and make drivers more attentive to the causes of distracted driving.
Distracted Driver Legislation: A Look Ahead
Alabama's Department of Public Health launched a campaign to warn teens about the fatal consequences of distracted driving. This was in response to Alabama nationally being behind only Mississippi in the number of teenagers dying behind the wheel.
Knowing this, it is clear Alabama needed to begin somewhere, and this bill is managing to bring the issue to the forefront. The discussion will surely continue among state and local representatives, at school, and hopefully at home. As Rep. McClendon believes, hopefully small steps can lead to big improvements in distracted driving accidents and deaths.
Article provided by Johnston, Moore & Thompson
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