Texting while driving is never a good idea, and now in Texas, it could also get you a ticket.
Krgv is reporting that texting while driving will soon be illegal in Texas after Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that he’s signed the ban into law, ending a decade-long effort by safety advocates to reduce potentially deadly driver distractions on the road.
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Texas will join at least 47 other states that have similar laws when the ban takes effect Sept. 1. Texting would be punishable by a fine of up to $99 for first-time offenders and $200 for repeat offenses. The ban covers texting only, not other Internet use such as map applications.
The ban comes after a March church bus crash killed 13 people. Federal investigators have said the driver of a pickup truck that hit the bus said he was checking for a text when the crash happened and had taken prescription drugs.