First-Ever Driving While Texting Ticket Issued

I was watching a man who was having a difficult time, maneuvering his vehicle out of a parking spot--a nose-in parking spot. At first I couldn't see why it took him three attempts until I noticed he was actually dialing his phone while he was doing it. (He couldn't wait until he was underway? Not ideal, but much more expedient--and more intelligent.)

It looks like we need this specific law, tied to huge fines, to protect us from these fools who don't have sense enough to protect themselves and their passengers because their message/phone call is worth risking all our lives....

It is about time to outlaw texting. It's bad enough that it has ruined our vocabulary, now it is interferring with our driving. I agree though, that texting is not the worse - waaaaaaaaaaay too many people drive with their elbows, on the phone, eating, drinking, READING, etc. It is one thing to be reading directions or something but I have seen people reading a book while the car is moving! Ticket them now before more people get killed!

I don't f*****g get texting in the first place. How stupid! Isn't it much easier to simply make a phone call? Especially while driving?????

Good!! It's about damn time! Give people tickets for TALKING AND TEXTING on cell phones while driving!! A-HOLES!!!

Add make-up application and eating while driving to the list too!!

Hands on, handsoff. Makes no difference!!!!! have wittnest* Several accidents but they have been at slower speeds.......can still kill or injure. When the first in-car phones came out and my company reqiured me to use it. Guess what, i recieved 2 speeding citations. After that i would get off the road when safe to do so. Can we be looking at constructing "Cell phone lanes" to use for any distractions. sounds funny but "WATCH OUT" cause there have been stupider laws passed.

In the city I live in it is not only illegal to text while driving it is 100% illegal to use your cell phone while driving and that is the way it should be!

Great law, it's a shame we need it.
I agree that it is sad that we have to have laws to replace people's common sense but that's what most laws are. People didn't protect their children in cars so they wrote the child restraint law; people wouldn't use their seatbelts..., people don't know when they've had too much to drink...
I suppose people just don't understand that it isn't always someone else that bad things happen to, it might be them. I have never understood the rationale of a woman driving down the freeway at 90 miles an hour with her two year old climbing back and forth between the front and back seats and I've seen it over and over.

DAMN GLAD OF IT. HOPE THAT THIS SETS A TREND FOR THOSE WHO BREAK THIS LAW!!!!!

Not to minimise problems with cell phones, makeup, shaving etc, because the are a problem, try driving US 19 in Fla. You see people drift from one lane to another and back, no checking to see what's around and no signal or see them shoot out from a parking lot, in front of on comming traffic, without looking or slowing
down. It's to bad we will always have people who think they are the only ones on the road and don't care about their life. Guess you can't expect them to care about anyone else on the road. No matter how many laws are on the books some people are just not smart enough to be allowed to drive.

Please Oh Please...

Start giving tickets to the slow drivers in the fast lanes....

As an ex Ohio State Trooper, the fine should include 30 days in jail. Have you ever had to help mop up some poor soul's blood from the highway because of this very selfish practice caused an accident? I have.

I don't think even using a phone while driving should be allowed. People don't watch their driving when they are on the phone. I can always tell when a driver is on the phone in front of me because they don't stay in the middle of the lane they are driving in. They don't watch for other cars and make dangerous turns. Phoning in the car while driving should be outlawed completely. If you need to use the phone...pull off the road and make the call.

Ya know... this is really a double standard. I was almost clipped by a cop in the other lane a few days ago. He was busy trying to get information from his in-car computer terminal, not paying attention, and drifted partially into my lane. What is it going to take to allow private citizens the chance to cite the police for breaking the laws they are "supposedly" sworn to enforce?

I wonder how these wussy's functioned behind the wheel BEFORE cell phones came around. A-HOLES on their cell phones while driving, BS!! Almost every day on the road some F-HEAD on a cell phone tries to run into me or someone else. Moron's have NO capability to talk and drive!! If you MUST talk and drive TRY to be aware of your surroundings??? THEY can't even WALK and talk at the same time!!! If you're on the road PULL OVER!!! If you're walking PULL UP A CHAIR AND SIT DOWN!!

JOSE GAMERRO? I AGREE WITH YOU 110%!!!

I think its an excellent idea. i believe you should not do anything but drive. its only safe and its the law

I feel the fines are a bit excessive, but I am happy to see police starting to crack down on people texting while driving. I was in the car when my own daughter pulled out her phone and started texting while we were on the highway, going thru windy roads, in the hills. I nearly went nuts and started chastizing her. I couldnt believe my own eyes. If this is what it takes to save lives including my daughter's.....so be it.

When you are driving, stay off the phone. You will be ok after you park. Is this just too confusing, or are you just too lonely to think you might miss a REALLY important date.

william chaffee says:
OK Don, and while you're on the phone (hands free I'm sure)where is your attention focussed? I'll bet on the conversation and not the driving.
I wonder: Does William talk to passengers in his car? Isnt that the same??
Just a thought!