Texting While Driving Illegal Beginning July 1st

According to the Virginia DMV, driver distraction is the cause of the majority of crashes; last year, it was a factor in 28,395 crashes which resulted in 114 deaths and 14,480 injuries. Beginning this Wednesday, the first of July, texting and sending emails while operating a motor vehicle will be illegal.  This law, like the state's law regarding seat belt violations, is a secondary offense; a driver cannot be pulled over for texting alone, they must also be committing a primary offense.  The fine is $20 for a first offense and $50 for each offense thereafter.

There are a number of exceptions to this law, including drivers who are: parked, reporting an emergency, and using GPS devices.  Emergency vehicle operators are also exempt from the texting ban.