By: Ryan Poppe, TPR News
Some state lawmakers are hoping Rick Perry’s absence from the 2015 legislative session will result in a ban on texting while driving in the state. Texas Public Radio’s Ryan Poppe reports that the early filing period saw multiple bills submitted by Democrats and Republicans, to make sending or retrieving texts while driving a crime.
Former Texas Speaker of the House, Midland Republican Rep. Tom Craddick, has been fighting to get a statewide ban on texting while driving signed into law for the last two legislative sessions. In 2011, Gov. Perry vetoed the bill because he felt it took away some drivers’ individual rights.
CRADDICK: “I look at it differently, I think it’s a safety issue and I think it’s the responsibility of the legislature to give law enforcement the tools they need to make our roads safer,” said Craddick. :12 secs
And he isn’t alone with this sentiment. So far, almost half-a-dozen similar bills have been filed during the early filing period, with authors all willing to be co-authors of Craddick’s bill. In the past four years, 38 Texas cities have passed bans against texting while driving, and cities like San Antonio and Austin have taken that one step further, by banning the complete use of handheld wireless communication devices while driving.
CRADDICK: “One in every five crashes in Texas is by driver distraction. It’s eight times more risky than driving while intoxicated,”
Across the nation, 44 states have a ban on texting while driving, 12 of those have a complete ban on the use of any handheld devices while behind the wheel. Governor-elect Greg Abbott has not indicated whether or not he supports the state ban on texting and driving. Ryan Poppe, Texas Public Radio News
Ryan E. Poppe | Reporter-State Capitol Bureau | KSTX 89.1 FM
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