The penalties for drinking and driving or texting and driving will change Monday, July 1.
Currently, texting while driving is considered a secondary offense, meaning the offender must be stopped for another, separate offense in order to be charged for texting and driving. Under the new law, it will become a primary offense, allowing police to stop drivers suspected of texting or reading text messages while driving.
A first time offender will pay a $125 fine and $250 for subsequent offenses, an increase from the current penalties of $20 for the first offense and $50 for subsequent offenses. A texting while driving conviction can also result in three points on a person’s driving record. Additionally, the new law imposes a mandatory $250 for any person convicted of reckless driving if found to be texting at the time of the offense.
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