In California, texting and talking on a cellphone behind the wheel have been illegal for awhile now, but that’s not the case in every state. Arizona is one state that has yet to enact a ban on texting while driving, despite the repeated attempts of some legislators.
One of those legislators, a Senator from Tucson, plans to continue to put forth an effort to get the dangerous habit banned in his state. He started his crusade way back in January of 2007, yet the past five years have still not seen a texting ban taken up, largely due to opposition in the Arizona House.
The Senator expressed his intention to put forth new legislation in 2013. He made this intention known at the National Conference of State Legislatures held last week in Washington. He also hopes to keep up recent efforts to cut down on intoxicated driving, saying that this dangerous practice compromises safety during an entire trip as opposed to the couple seconds’ distraction posed by texting.
A representative from the state of Washington talked up his state’s own efforts to curb drunk driving, including the installation of an interlock starter for convicted offenders that impedes the individual’s ability to start the car if they are intoxicated.
The country is becoming more and more aware of the dangers that pop up when one is distracted or drunk behind the wheel. It’s nice to see lawmakers continue to fight to get such dangerous behavior recognized for what it is.