No texting while driving law goes into effect TODAY
July 1, 2009
That’s right, folks. As of today you are officially no longer allowed to text (or email, or Tweet) while operating a motor vehicle.
If caught doing so, you can be fined $20 for the first offense, while subsequent offenses will cost you $50.
Here’s a snippet of the new law:
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a moving motor vehicle on the highways in the Commonwealth while using any handheld personal communications device to:
1. Manually enter multiple letters or text in the device as a means of communicating with another person; or
2. Read any email or text message transmitted to the device or stored within the device, provided that this prohibition shall not apply to any name or number stored in the device nor to any caller identification information.
Read all of the no texting law here.
The law does not pertain to the use of GPS devices or “any person using a handheld personal communications device to report an emergency.”
Also, don’t worry. You can still text while riding a bike!
13 Responses to “No texting while driving law goes into effect TODAY”
1. bopst says:
Finally… a law that makes sense…
on July 1st, 2009 at 10:36 am
2. Senor says:
How will they tell the difference between texting and dialing a phone number?
on July 1st, 2009 at 11:14 am
3. Matthew McDonald says:
soooo if i get pulled over. open google maps on my iphone and show my current location i am ok?
also how will they know im texting?
on July 1st, 2009 at 1:20 pm
4. Lauren says:
What about checking Email . . .Does that count? Can I use it as an excuse for when I do get pulled over for texting?
on July 1st, 2009 at 1:24 pm
5. Valerie says:
I’m wondering how much this is going to be enforced.
I’d be interested to see a report in a few months of how many citations were issued.
on July 1st, 2009 at 1:43 pm
6. Scott Pharr says:
Yeah that report will be interesting.
I will say though that I “caught” myself checking email and twitter multiple times this morning coming to work. I now owe the government about $500.
on July 1st, 2009 at 2:25 pm
7. Jason says:
It’s a secondary offense, they can’t pull you over for texting but if you are texting and speeding or driving recklessly then they’ll hit you for it.
on July 1st, 2009 at 2:37 pm
8. Dean says:
It says “multiple letters or text,” and I guess dialing is entering “numbers,” so that should be ok.
Tweets are not stored “inside the device” (“it’s IN the computer?”), so I interpret that reading tweets are ok, but that might be a stretch. And I’m not a lawyer or anything…
on July 1st, 2009 at 2:39 pm
9. MattOnFire says:
Lots of cops out this week (on motorcycles) specifically looking for texters, drunks and speeders. Be careful out there… they’re pulling a ton of people over. I saw a bunch on 64 between RIC & The Pump yesterday, and they’re going to be patrolling throughout the weekend.
on July 2nd, 2009 at 2:16 pm
10. taylor says:
I keep reading this as “No Textiles while Driving” and “No Exiting While Driving”. Thankfully for me the law isn’t “No Not Being Able to Read While Driving.”
on July 2nd, 2009 at 3:19 pm
11. Brad says:
DUMB. Just another way the government found to control the people and make more money off of us.
on July 7th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
12. taylor says:
How is texting whilst driving not dumb? It just seems like common sense to me. Although looking both ways before crossing busy intersections seems like common sense to me too, but apparently it is not.
on July 8th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
13. taylor says:
Not to argue that wasting taxpayer money is not DUMB, just texting in transit in general. Taxpayer money is wasted on a veritable galaxy of stupid things. Thats why money managemnet is so important. Just assume that a certain amount of your money will be put to waste, and plan accordingly. Then when things finally do change for the better, you will be even more stoked than you already would have been :)
on July 8th, 2009 at 3:51 pm