Many states are exploring the possibility of passing some sort of a ban on either texting at the wheel or all cellphone usage altogether. But the possibility of approval appears bleak in one state.
In New Mexico, the bill that was under consideration by the Senate wouldn’t have gone all that far. Persons found to be in violation of the proposed law would be subject to a relatively low $25. If that person commits subsequent texting violations, it would cost $50.
However, the bill has now been tabled by the Senate Judiciary Committee. A texting and driving ban will essentially have to wait until 2014 now before passage is possible. Even though the House is also set to consider their own bill, that measure would also have to pass through the Senate, and thus it appears highly improbable that the Senate would have a change of heart that quickly.
Opponents thought that current careless driving laws on the books were already sufficient to fine someone who was texting and driving, but when a bill’s supporter countered that this wasn’t the case unless their texting led to some other violation, some responded by saying that officers shouldn’t have the kind of power afforded them by the bill.
The vote to kill the bill angered some citizens, especially one woman who lost her father-in-law in an accident caused by texting.