Heather Curtis
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON (WMAL) – If you’re driving in Virginia you’ll likely soon have to put down your cell phone. Tuesday Gov. Ralph Northam amended a bill banning handheld cellphone use in highway work zones to include a ban on all handheld cellphone use behind the wheel.
“Too many families have lost loved ones as a result of a driver paying more attention to their phone than to their surroundings. This bill, as amended, will be a significant step forward in promoting traffic safety across the Commonwealth,” Northam said in a press release.
A bill creating a flat out ban died in legislative session, but AAA and Drive Smart Virginia asked Northam to add the stricter restriction to the highway work zone bill.
“We were absolutely delighted to find that the governor has agreed to amend the senate bill to bring back the language to make Virginia a hands-free state,” said Janet Brooking, executive director of Drive Smart Virginia.
Drivers caught holding their phones would get a $125 fine for a first offense and $250 fine for subsequent offenses but not points on their licenses according to Brooking.
The current law only prohibits texting and emailing while driving, but drivers can still legally do other things behind the wheel including holding their phones while talking, playing games and watching YouTube videos, which many lawmakers believe is just as dangerous.
Brooking said 25 percent of all fatalities on Virginia’s roadways in 2018 were due to distracted driving.
“Virginia’s traffic fatalities have risen every year since 2014,” said Sen. Monty Mason in a press release. “Distracted driving caused by cell phone use, whether it’s dialing, texting, or checking email, is clearly the reason.”
The ban isn’t a done deal yet. The legislature will return April 3 to take up all of Northam’s amendments to bills. This one would need a simple majority to pass. If it does pass, Virginia would join neighboring Maryland and D.C. in barring all handheld cell phone use behind the wheel.
Copyright 2019 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (Photo: Drive Smart Virginia)
