House committee reviews three bans on texting while driving

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Saying that texting while driving constitutes a bigger public safety threat on Missouri roads than drinking and driving, supporters of a statewide texting-while-driving ban came out Wednesday to testify before the House committee hearing three bills on the matter.

All the bills would to take the age requirement out of the state's current texting ban, which only applies to drivers younger than 21. One would make an exception for texting using voice recognition programs and another would keep texting while driving from being a primary offense for pulling a driver over.

Supporters of expanding the ban, which has been in effect since 2009, say that a distracted driver is a danger at any age.

A representative for the Missouri State Highway Patrol also testified in favor of extending the ban, saying the current age cutoff makes enforcement of the law difficult.

"It's hard to judge the age of a person at 70 miles per hour driving down the roadway," Col. Ron Replogle said. The House Transportation Committee will likely merge the three bills before sending them on to the House floor for debate and passage.

Critics of extending the ban say it focuses too narrowly on the act of texting, and fails to promote overall driving safety.