Source: colliersheriff.org

Expect new momentum to be injected into efforts in Arizona and nationwide to add new laws to stop texting while driving, after the national association of state highway safety officials reversed itself and endorsed specific bans on Monday.

It’s routinely repeated that texting while driving isn’t illegal in Arizona, but that’s simply not true. In general, Arizona makes any type of  reckless driving a misdemeanor crime with a possible sentence of up to four months in jail. Given the growing evidence about just how dangerous texting while driving is, that practice should qualify as the very definition of reckless driving.

Many proponents of a specific ban argue the spreading prevalence of texting while driving requires more action. But Arizona’s largest city has banned texting while driving since 2007, and hands out few tickets for it.

The reality is police are unlikely to pursue a texting while driving case unless it’s connected to a serious accident or blatantly bad driving (nearly causing an accident), because of the time often involved in obtaining the offending cell phone and confirming that a text message was sent.

The first, best step to address problems with texting while driving is the ongoing education effort thatshould make everyone aware that’s not the same thing as drinking a mug of coffee or grabbing a French fry out of the take-out bag. Once our society shares this common understanding, consistent enforcement of the reckless driving law might be enough to the deal with most of the remaining scofflaws.

Posted in: Arizona Legislature • Arizona government • Alberto Gutier • driving while intoxicated |

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