PA Texting While Driving Law Passed the House - 1 Step Left...
 

Talking on the phone and driving will remain legal. Texting will become illegal if the Gov. signs the bill which it seems he will.

Pa. Senate passes bill making texting and driving illegal

Published: Tuesday, November 01, 2011

The ability to accomplish two things at once these days has become a bit of an art and a science. But if those two things including driving and texting at the same time, it’s one step away from breaking a state law.

The state House of Representatives passed a bill Monday banning texting while driving and making it a primary offense, and the state Senate passed the same bill Tuesday.

That sends the legislation to Gov. Tom Corbett. A spokeswoman has said that Gov. Corbett supports the bill.

If the governor signs the measure, it would make Pennsylvania the 42nd state to have a law against texting and driving, and the law would go into effect four months later, which means it would likley tatke effect in early March.

Southeastern Pennsylvania would join neighboring states Delaware and New Jersey with the no texting while driving law.

The Pennsylvania bill would call for a $50 fine, and since it is a primary offense, the police could stop a driver for texting and nothing else.

“I don’t think it would be that dificult to enforce,” Ridley Park Police Chief Tom Byrnes. “It would probably be easier to enforce on an SUV than a regular sedan because you could see them. I’m glad they made it a primary offense, though.”

While Byrne says he doesn’t see a lot of drivers texting, the safety concerns make the law well worth it. He noted that a car traveling 30 mph goes more than 40 feet per second.

“How many feet can you go in two seconds?” Byrnes asked. “A lot can happen in that time.”

Of course, while some may text and drive to save time, they may actually cost others their precious time.

“We’ve all sat behind somebody at a traffic light, and they sit there through the green light texting,” Byrnes said. “Now they’re telling us we can go ahead and enforce that.”

Byrnes said his crash investigation team routinely checks cell phones to see if a driver was texting immediately before an accident, but didn’t have data available on the frequency of texting and traffic accidents.

The bill also originally had language that would have banned talking on a cell phone, but that was taken out by the House.

“I don’t have a problem with talking on a cell phone and driving,” Byrnes said. “You can still look up and see where you’re going. But you can’t look down to text and still drive safely.”

http://delcotimes.com/articles/2011/...mode=fullstory

It is a good thing but why not making doing anything other then driving illegal also. No different then people shaving, reading, putting makeup on, switching discs in their CD player, ect.

understandable.. I have to agree with this. texting and drivng is way to dangerious, I know iv done it a few times. I tried to only get out messages at stop lights and what not. but still even that thats not enough. But im glad to see you can still drive and talk. I never really found that to dangerious.

I agree with jay

And also. Whether people are texting or talking on the phone... If its not hands free, they aren't going to react as fast as they could anyway. I get that people look down to text, but it's still just as unsafe to be on the phone while driving.

Bill will be nice to see passed and make me feel A LITTLE better about driving.

But they need to start rethinking licensing criteria/testing in pa more than texting and driving.

Let's put it this way. I've had more issues/close calls with people that were talking on the phone than with people that were texting. I furthermore believe that them poking at people texting at a stop light and then not going right away when it's green is irrelevant. I'd rather beep at someone to go than be cut off by someone texting/talking. Being stopped in a car isn't driving.

Wish they would just ban both to be honest.

i disagree. whether your using a hands free device or not, you still are concentrating some what on the conversation at hand and a little less than the road.

A handsfree setup isn't all that much different then talking to someone in person. The act of not just answering the call but looking for your phone to see who it is first is the issue.

I will agree that yes people are still concentrating on the call with a hands free but I'm more concerned with the holding of the phone.

You have full motion of your head and can turn without anything being in the way with a hands free. When you're holding your phone, your hand can get in the way, your mobility to turn is hindered (again drowning on how the phone is being held), etc.

There's more chance for you to react with both hands than with only one hand, let alone while holding something. And jay has a good point that all agree with. Looking at your phone to see who it is, is just as bad as looking at your phone to text.

Another reason why I think they should ban both. Yeah if your phone rings just don't look/answer, but it's more than that

Also, the part of your brain used to talk in a normal conversation and process and respond logically to the person or people you are talking with is the same the part of your brain that is used to make decisions and recognize things while driving. That's why when you are talking to someone who is paying attention while driving a car they sometimes shut up and pause while talking because their brain is trying to process something they see on the road.

An issue with cell phone use while driving, even hands free, is that many people try to pay more attention to the conversation than to their driving and what's going on around them, while passengers int he car talking with the driver seem to understand more that the driver may have to stop talking for a moment here and there to react to traffic.

I remember reading some interesting research about this topic a few years back. Its one reason I rarely answer my phone in my car even when using Bluetooth hands free devices.

I think this is great. Not going to even try to say that I don't text and drive because I do, but I am usually pretty good at keeping it to just at stop lights. I disagree with the it not mattering for hands free. If I'm on the phone while driving, I just put my phone on speakerphone while its sitting on the center console. I completely agree with Dan, its a lot easier to manuever/react and be more aware of your surrounding when your not holding a phone to your head. And I don't see talking to someone on a hands-free any different than talking to someone in the car.

http://www.wpxi.com/news/29659986/detail.html ironic

This is a good thing, but when they passed an anti texting law in luzerne county I know the percentage of accidents involving texting went up. The reason was because people would try to hide thier phones, and looking down at their "hidden phone" meant worse reaction times. We just studied this in my Crim Law class. I hope state wide it works out though, the girl who rearended me was supposedly on her phone but wouldn't "admit" it

There is tons of studies that say there is no difference between hands free and holding the phone. The problem is talking and listening, being engaged in conversation. Its not physically holding the phone.

We have this law in DE and it really hasn't effected people at all. Every single day I see tons of people yapping and texting away. Its a very hard thing to enforce since from what I've seen as long as their is no cop in sight people will continue to do it.

I've seen 3 cops texting and driving. THAT always makes me LOL.

And call the local municipality lol

I know a few people who been pulled over for it in NJ, especially in the tourist areas.

I was leavin work at Advance Auto one day and there was a cop talkin on his phone drivin the the lot. As I was walkin to my car I watched him drive thru the lot and right past a lady walking out to her car. Luckily she saw him and stopped about a foot away from the car. He wouldve hit her otherwise. I'm surprised she didnt get her foot run over or hit by the mirror, she was that close. Dude didnt even acknowledge, just kept on driving while the lady and I just stared at each other shakin our heads.

Isn't there already a law on the books... Called "Distracted Driving"?

STOP IT ALREADY WITH THESE FEEL GOOD LAWS. And do something useful. People are losing houses, jobs, families, faith in our future. And this is the **** they prioritize. Well done, again I will vote down all these F'ers out come next election.

end of days

Its called revenue enhancement, under the veil of public safety. Just another optional ticket to write to fulfill your quota.

I don't like the fact that it was made a primary offense, as if your car or identity is something that raises suspicion, it gives Police yet another reason to pull you over, in hopes that they will actually find something after you are stopped. This has happened to me too many times. "Son, you have a brake light out". "Actually, officer, I don't have a brake light out (Pumps brakes)". "Oh, I see...Care if I have a look in your car?"

People still do this in Philly and it's been a law on the books for some time now. I doubt it'll make a big difference. Glad my phone has a voice to text and text to voice feature :)