> SOUTHERN INDIANA —
A new ban on texting while driving will take effect in Kentucky today, and two local sheriffs hope to see a similar law passed in Indiana soon.
in Kentucky, drivers of all ages are prohibited from texting while a vehicle is in motion. Drivers older than 18 are allowed to use global positioning devices and read, select or enter a telephone number for the purpose of making a call. Texting is also allowed to report illegal activity or request emergency aid.
Drivers younger than 18 are never allowed to use personal communication devices, such as cell phones and pagers, while a vehicle is in motion.
Law enforcement officers will issue warnings until Jan. 1. Starting in 2011, violators will be liable for fines of $25 for a first offense and $50 for each subsequent offense, plus court costs.
According to a statement from the Kentucky Governor’s Office, 200 motor vehicle fatalities in Kentucky last year were attributed to distraction, inattention or cell phone use.
There are no laws prohibiting adult drivers in Indiana from texting.
“I definitely think Indiana ought to enact a texting law. I can’t imagine why they didn’t during this last session other than it was a short session,” Clark County Sheriff Danny Rodden said. “It is ridiculous. On my way in this morning, I saw a girl just texting away as she was driving. ... It’s just too distracting.”
In the cases of serious wrecks, Rodden said they will probably start looking at the drivers’ cell phones to see what they had been doing at the time of the wreck.
Floyd County Sheriff Darrell Mills, who serves on the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association Board, said they continue to push for the state to enact a texting while driving ban. He said they are optimistic that a bill will make it out of committee and come up for a vote during the next legislative session.
“I think there’s as big a problem with that as drinking and driving,” Mills said. “It is a very dangerous thing to do to text and drive.”
Even though there is no law in Indiana, Mills encourages drivers to still be courteous to other motorists and refrain from texting.
The Governors Highway Safety Association reports that 30 states ban text messaging for all drivers with new laws being enacted in 11 states this year.
Eight states, including Indiana, prohibit novice drivers from texting while driving. Since 2009, drivers younger than 18 have been prohibited from using cell phones or other telecommunication devices while driving.
Clark County
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Discussion
Kentucky texting while driving ban takes effect today
Indiana sheriffs want similar law passed in Hoosier state
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