Text While Driving Now Primary Offense

From the Office of State Rep. Josh Shapiro:

Today Governor Tom Corbett signed S.B. 314, a measure proposed by Rep. Josh Shapiro, D-Montgomery, to make Pennsylvania’s roads safer by making it a primary offense to text while driving.

Last month the General Assembly overwhelmingly passed the bill to ban reading, writing or sending a text message while driving. During debate Shapiro offered an amendment on the House floor to strengthen the ban by making it a primary offense to text and drive. Shapiro’s amendment allows a driver to be pulled over for violating the law, as opposed to a secondary offense, which would result in a fine after an accident occurs.

"I am thrilled that this measure is finally becoming law in Pennsylvania," Shapiro said. "I have fought for years for this commonsense legislation. It isn’t often that lawmakers can truly know the effect of a new law in advance. This is one case where we do; signing this bill into law today will simply save lives on Pennsylvania’s roadways."

Shapiro has long advocated for a statewide ban on texting and talking on hand-held cell phones while driving and first introduced this legislation in 2006. Nine states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation that bans the use of hand-held cell phones while driving. Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia have banned texting while driving.

Shapiro represents the 153rd Legislative District in Montgomery County. For more information, visit www.pahouse.com/Shapiro.