States Move To Ban Texting While Driving
As of July 1, Virginia drivers are banned from sending or reading text messages and e-mails. Cleveland's ban starts July 19, while Maryland drivers have until October to text away in the car while driving.
RENEE MONTAGNE, host:
Fast forwarding to the present, our last word in business today is DWT - that's driving while texting. It's now a crime in more and more places. Cleveland is the latest city to ban the practice. Starting July 19th, drivers who are spotted texting while on the road will be fined $100. It's $250 for the second offence and $500 after that. The dangers might seem obvious, but many people just can't resist the urge to tap out a quick note while, say, driving to work. With that in mind, Cleveland is backing up its new law with a public awareness campaign to make people more aware of the risks of paying more attention to their messages than the road. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.
