UPDATE:
The Virginia State Crime Commission has endorsed tougher penalties for texting while driving. The panel made proposals part of its 2013 legislative agenda after a pair of Virginia delegates introduces the new bill. Amherst County’s Ben Cline and Scott Surovell, Cline is calling for such a violation to be punishable as reckless driving with fines of up to 25-hundred-dollars and jail sentences of up to a year possible. The proposal is supported by DRIVE SMART Virginia.
12/5/12: Motorists across the state could soon see stronger penalties for texting while driving with state lawmakers today eyeing tougher restrictions. Texting while driving is against the law in Virginia, but it’s currently a secondary offense. That means an officer can’t issue a ticket for texting, unless the driver commits another infraction. The General Assembly is expected to consider proposed legislation making it a primary offense through a bill introduced by Rockbridge County Delegate Ben Cline which defines it as reckless driving.
