Transportation Committee Announces a New Bill to Ban Texting While Driving

Senator Steven A. Baddour (D-Methuen) and his colleague Representative Joseph F. Wagner (D-Chicopee), Co-Chairmen of the Joint Committee on Transportation, announced Thursday (1-28-2010) a new bill that takes a major step toward banning texting while driving.  The bill, H. 3354 An Act Relative to Distracted Driving, would prohibit texting while driving by all drivers and includes harsh penalties for infractions.  Junior Operators (drivers under the age of 18)  would be banned not only from texting but from using a cellphone in any way while behind the wheel.  The bill must now pass the House before going to the Senate for approval. Click here to read a summary of the bill, and click here to see WBZ-TV coverage.