Texas is one of the only states that has yet to pass a ban on texting while driving, but that could change if some lawmakers get their way. Yesterday, persons directly impacted by distracted driving were on hand to urge legislators to consider passing a measure that would make texting illegal.
They appeared in front of the House Transportation Committee, which is deciding whether or not to pass the law on to the full House. The bill being considered would ban texting among all drivers, while still making exceptions for the usage of a GPS device. At the moment, various cities in Texas have passed their own laws to address the matter, but a previous law passed at the state level was vetoed by the Governor.
Proponents hope that things will change this year, and those who lost family members attempted to stress how important a ban would be. One speaker explained how her brother had been killed after the bike he was on was hit by a distracted driver. And a woman who lost her husband, a Staff Sergeant and a veteran of the Iraq War, was also on hand to ask lawmakers to pass the bill.
Early word from the Governor’s office indicates a worry that the ban goes too far in infringing upon a person’s rights.