Police are a step closer to gaining the authority to nab motorist who text, check Facebook, tweet or email from behind the wheel.
The Virginia Senate voted Tuesday to make it a primary offense to operate a handheld device while driving, elevating it from a secondary offense status, which means a driver could be penalized for it only after being pulled over for some other offense. Under the bill, police would be able to pull over a driver for texting on the road.
It’s not the first time the bill has passed the Senate and Sen. George Barker, the bill’s chief backer, said it faces an uphill climb in the House of Delegates. But he recently told The Washington Examiner lawmakers’ sentiments might be changing, increasing chances of the bill passing.
Barker, D-Alexandria, also pushed through the Senate a bill that would allow police to stop teens they spot talking on a phone while driving. That bill, too, has a tougher road in the House.
“Part of the problem is it’s not just the driver who’s affected, it’s the other passengers and driver of the other car,” Barker said.
