Just a friendly reminder that beginning Jan. 1, 2011, fines will be issues to anyone caught texting while driving and for those under 18 who use a cell phone while driving.
Violators will be liable for fines of $25 on a first offense and $50 on each subsequent offense, plus court costs.
“Safety is a top priority of this administration,” said Gov. Steve Beshear through a press release. “I am convinced that this new law, which many people worked with us to pass, will reduce crashes and fatalities on Kentucky roadways.”
In Kentucky last year, there were more than 57,000 crashes – and more than 200 fatalities -- attributed to driver distraction, inattention and cell phone use. Gov. Beshear signed House Bill 415 into law on April 15, 2010.
A press release from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said the law bans texting for drivers of all ages while the vehicle is in motion. For drivers over 18, it allows the use of global positioning devices and reading, selecting or entering a telephone number or name for the purpose of making a phone call. Texting is allowed only to report illegal activity or to request medical or emergency aid.
Drivers under 18 cannot use personal communication devices such as cell phones and pagers while the vehicle is in motion. The use of a global positioning system is allowed, but manually entering information must be completed while the vehicle is stopped.
Kentucky was the 22nd state to ban texting while driving. Currently, 30 states and the District of Columbia ban text messaging for all drivers. Twelve of these laws were enacted in 2010 alone.
Information on distracted driving is at http://distraction.gov and http://highwaysafety.ky.gov/.
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