Alaska moves closer to banning texting while driving
The Finance Committee of Alaska’s House of Representatives has approved a law that would specifically prohibit the sending of text messages while behind the wheel of a moving vehicle.
Previously, Alaska’s lawmakers passed a distracted driving bill intended to achieve the same effect in 2008, but that restriction (which never mentioned texting by name) has since been ruled too vague by Alaska’s judiciary. Last year, a magistrate in Kenai ruled that the language in the 2008 bill is too vague to enforce. Lawmakers must specifically outline what constitutes “texting” if they want to ban its practice while driving.
House Bill 255 is an attempt to fixes the ban on texting while driving.The legislation explicitly bans texting, which the law defines as “reading or typing a text message” while behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. The legislation does not address talking on a cell phone with or without a hands free device nor does it specifically mention the use of other electronic devices, such as a GPS navigation system. Before the bill can be voted on by the full House of Representatives, it must first be cleared by the House’s Rules Committee.
As a Sacramento auto accident lawyer, I have seen the damage that drivers can cause when they let their focus stray from the road ahead of them. If you have been injured in a collision involving a distracted driver, please consider discussing your case with a Burlingame auto accident attorney.
