Collegiate Times

Texting graphic

That text message can wait, says the state of Virginia.

A state law goes into effect July 1 that makes it illegal for drivers to text or e-mail while driving.

Violators will receive a $20 fine for the first time, and a $50 fine for a second offense. The law is a secondary offense, so officers must pull the driver over for a different violation, and then can add on the texting violation.

"Statistically, in most accidents, there's an element of inattention involved, so the goal is to keep people paying attention the road, and not to their phones," said Paul Watts, first sergeant in the Salem office of Virginia State Police.

Driver distraction, along with following a vehicle too closely, is the most common cause for crashes in Virginia.

 According to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, 28,395 crashes occurred in Virginia involving driver distraction. Of those, 114 people died and 14,480 were injured. Melanie Stokes of the DMV said that the data is based on driver's admissions of distracted driving, so the figures are likely much higher."It's probably very underreported," Stokes said.

 "Texting is a dangerous practice," said Phil Berardelli, an author and journalist who has written books on safe driving. "If you're driving, say, 60 miles per hour, you're going 88 feet per second, so if you look down ... for one second, that means you've moved 88 feet without looking where you're going and a lot can happen."

So far, 13 states plus the District of Columbia currently have a texting ban. Some states prohibit it for all drivers, and some have it banned for drivers under the age of 18.

In Virginia, it is illegal for drivers under 18 to use a cell phone while driving, but the texting law applies to all drivers.

Other than Virginia, there are six more states where a texting law will go into effect sometime this year.

"I believe this will become a trend across the board," Watts said.

With a secondary law comes the question of enforcement.

"They're only going to work if people only think they're going to get caught and it'll cost them something," Berardelli said. "Being a secondary rule probably is not going to be enough to change people's behaviors. I think it needs to be primary concern, even more than cell phones."

"What type of issues we'll have from enforcement, we won't know," Watts said. "Hopefully, when this becomes law, it'll make the law known and people will stop texting while they're supposed to be driving."