NU Online News Service, July 7, 2:25 p.m. EDT

Massachusetts joined the growing number of states to pass a texting while driving ban after Governor Deval Patrick signed a bill into law late last week.

The bill, H. 4795 (http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/186/ht04pdf/ht04795.pdf), states: "No operator of a motor vehicle shall use a mobile telephone, or any handheld device capable of accessing the Internet, to manually compose, send or read an electronic message while operating a motor vehicle."

Penalties include a $100 fine for a first offense, a $250 fine for a second offense, and a $500 fine for third or subsequent offense.

The bill also bans the use of cell phones, including hands-free devices, for all drivers under 18. In addition to fines, drivers under 18 will face license suspensions for violations.

Cell phone use is also banned for operators of public transportation vehicles owned by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority; the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority; Massachusetts Port Authority; and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

In a statement, John Murphy, vice president, Northeast region for the American Insurance Association (AIA), praised the new law but said he would have liked to have seen the mobile device ban for drivers under 18 apply to all drivers.

"AIA fully supports the general court's recognition that novice drivers need to focus solely at the task at hand, and that the additional distraction of cell phones or other handheld devices makes for a dangerous combination," he said. "This reasoning, however, should extend to the entire population, and not just new drivers."

He concluded, "That said, we commend the legislature and the governor for approving this important piece of legislation, and will continue to work with lawmakers to ensure that drivers and passengers in Massachusetts safely reach their destinations."

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, 26 states along with the District of Columbia have passed texting while driving bans and have listed it as a primary offense, meaning drivers can be stopped specifically for texting while driving.

Four additional states have laws listing texting while driving as a secondary offense, meaning a police officer can issue a citation for the offense only if the vehicle was stopped for a different violation.

Special Reports /

Massachusetts Passes Texting While Driving Ban

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