A bill that would prohibit drivers from texting while stopped at a traffic light is moving forward in the General Assembly.
Current state law bans drivers from texting while their vehicle is in motion, but the law does not address drivers stopped at a traffic signal. The proposal also would prohibit drivers from reading texts while behind the wheel.
The House of Delegates passed the bill 116-22 on Thursday, and the Senate gave preliminary approval to a similar measure.
Proponents of the bill say it closes a loophole in the state’s texting-while-driving laws. Opponents say the bill is overreaching and gives too much discretionary power to police.
“Texting and driving just don’t mix,” said Sen. James Brochin, D-Baltimore County, the bill’s sponsor. “If the light changes and you are reading a text, you can cause an accident.”
The state issued 208 tickets to drivers who were caught texting behind the wheel in fiscal 2010, Brochin said.
Senate Minority Leader E.J. Pipkin of the Eastern Shore argued that smart phones have become so pervasive in people’s lives that restricting their use is a grave misuse of power.
“This law goes to the core of the state invading the car,” Pipkin said.
A number of conservative lawmakers introduced amendments during floor debate Wednesday and Thursday. One amendment from Sen. Allan H. Kittleman, R-Howard County, would restrict drivers from reading a newspaper while driving. Another would prohibit drivers from eating or drinking behind the wheel.
“You can’t tell me it is more safe to hold some French fries and a Big Mac and Coke than it is to look down and read some text messages,” Kittleman said.
But lawmakers shot down all the amendments, and instead moved the bill to a third reading for final passage on Thursday.
