"Protecting the safety of Hoosier motorists is the fundamental reason for the passing of this bill," said Rep. Frye. "Those individuals who cause accidents due to texting and driving will now be held accountable," said Rep. Frye. In 2009, the Indiana General Assembly passed legislation that would ban teen drivers under the age of 18 from texting or emailing while driving a motor vehicle. Since 2009, the legislature has received feedback from constituents urging the passage of legislation to include all Hoosier drivers. House Bill 1129 would make sending or reading a text message or e-mail while driving a motor vehicle a Class C infraction which could result in a $500 fine. "This legislation is another preventative measure for safer driving practices," said Frye. "Taking your eyes off the road to view a text message or e-mail is unsafe, and the intent of this legislation is to save innocent lives." Data from the National Safety Council shows that 1.4 million car accidents that occur annually are caused by drivers talking on the phone or texting-more than 200,000 alone are caused by texting. Thirty other states already have similar laws in place, resulting in the amount of drivers seen texting behind the wheel to decrease. The bill does allow for the use of hands free devices to send or read texts and email on your phone to emphasize the importance alert driving House Bill 1129 passed the House with an 85-11 vote. It will soon be heard in the Senate for further discussion. If passed into law, it will go into effect in July 2011. To view up-to-date information regarding this legislation and others, visit www.in.gov/legislative. |
