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Ban on texting and driving now in effect in Virginia

By Ken Gibson on July 30, 2013

OMG! You’re my BFF. Want to meet at the mall??……….CRASH.

Not to make light of a very serious situation, but too often these days, we see drivers paying attention to their smartphone and not the roadway. You’ve seen them. They’re staring down at their phone reading a text message rather than looking out for the car that just slammed on their brakes to avoid a dog wandering in the road.

Effective July 1, 2013, it is illegal to text or email and drive. A first offense is $125 and a second or subsequent offense is $250. Not only that, but the new law is a “primary offense,” meaning that an officer who observes you texting on your phone or reading your phone while driving can use that behavior as probable cause to pull you over. You don’t have to be speeding or committing any other traffic offense to see the blue lights behind you now if you make the choice to text and drive.

And please….wait until you’re off the road to text or email your family and friends. No message is worth being injured or injuring someone else on the road.