Missouri bill would give total ban on texting and driving

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. � A Missouri bill would put a blanket ban on using devices such as cellphones and GPS receivers while driving.

The Columbia Missourian reported the bill proposed by Republican Sen. Bob Dixon was heard Thursday by the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee.

Current state law prohibits drivers younger than 21 from texting and driving. Other drivers follow Missouri�s more vague distracted-driving law by driving in a �careful and prudent manner.� But that law doesn�t have any explicit language on texting.

Data from the Missouri Department of Transportation shows about 100 people were killed in 2016 crashes involving a distracted driver.

Missouri is one of only three states that don�t explicitly ban texting for all drivers.

Information from: Columbia Missourian, http://www.columbiamissourian.com