Legislature looking at wider ban on texting while driving

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A year and a half after enacting a law to prohibit teens and young adults from texting while driving, the state legislature is considering expanding the law to drivers of all ages.

A pair of bills introduced in the House and the Senate would seek to remove the age restriction in the law, which currently applies only to drivers younger than 21. Supporters argue that drivers who text are a danger on the road at all ages.

The Missouri law went into effect in 2009 carrying a fine of $200.

Sen. Ryan McKenna, D-Crystal City, sponsored the original texting ban in the Senate and introduced a bill last year that would have eliminated the age provision. During a Senate transportation committee hearing earlier this week, he said the original bill was a step in the right direction but did not go far enough.

Since the law was enacted, the Missouri State Highway Patrol has issued 81 citations to underage drivers for texting.

Capt. Tim Hull of the highway patrol said driver inattention is the No. 1 factor in traffic accidents in Missouri.

In first half of 2010, 17,535 accidents listed driver inattention as a contributing factor. Of those, 791 involved cell phone usage of some sort.

"The less time you spend focused on the road -- whether it is because you are eating, reading a book, texting -- is increasing your chances of being in an accident," Hull said.

But opponents say that's the very reason not to have a statutory ban. During the debate over the original law, opponents said that banning specific activities wasn't addressing the root problem, which is the need for drivers to be better trained and more attentive.