JACKSON, Miss.–If you have a habit of tending to your phone while your are driving, now would be a good time to get used to not doing that any more. Gov. Bryant has signed a texting and driving ban that will go into effect July 1.
The law will mean a $25 fine if you’re caught. The second offense will mean a $100 fine.
But, exactly how police will be able to tell if you’re texting or answering a call, which is still completely legal, is unclear. That’s why some legislators had a problem with the new law.
State Sen. Willie Simmons, whose Senate committee passed the bill on for a vote earlier this month, said he believes the ban is necessary, even though some people have said they don’t want more government regulation.
“Often times, when individuals take their eyes off the highway, although they say they are watching, you see the car start weaving and you can tell there’s something going on that’s distracting them,” he said. “You can observe those individuals with no problem when you approach them.”
Some believe that the new law might end up in court where the probable cause factor could be brought up. In other words, the question of how police knew what was going on without actually observing the person send a text.
Mississippi is one of only six states without a texting and driving ban.
