New Texas laws hit home

Ruth Garay

The Signal Staff

Drivers beware. The 81st Texas legislature passed new cell laws and enhanced previous seat belt laws that will change our driving habits. The new laws went into effect Sept. 1. Now, motorists who violate cell phone and seat belt laws could receive hefty fines.

Cell phones

While driving in a school zone, cell phones can no longer be used unless they are equipped with a hands-free device or when the car is parked. Bus drivers cannot use a cell phone while transporting minors. Offenders can receive a maximum fine of $200.

In order to enforce the law, a sign must be posted at the beginning of each school zone. Signs have been posted in Sugarland and some Pasadena school zones.

Another law passed affects teens under the age of 18. Teens who receive a driver’s license after Sept. 1 are prohibited from texting or talking on a cell phone while driving.  

Both laws were passed to address an increase of accidents caused by cell phone distractions.  A study conducted in 2006 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Virginia Tech Transportation Institute reported almost 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involve some form of driver distraction, and cell phone use is one of the most common.

Cell phone related car accidents have occurred at the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

“We have had accidents on and around campus where we were fairly sure a driver using a cell phone was inattentive,” said Paul Willingham, chief of police at UHCL.  “In fact, last spring, we had a SUV flip over on its roof and slide across the Bayou on campus because the student was on the cell phone.  The car faded off the road and flipped over the curb.  Fortunately, no one was hurt.”

Prior to the new laws passing through legislation, wireless communication companies and the American Civil Liberties Union fought hard to keep the bills from passing.

“Bad driving is already against the law and subject to arrest,” said Public Education Director Dottie Griffith of the Texas ACLU. “Legislators should pass laws to get more done — cell phone laws will be difficult to enforce.”

“If we save one life, the law is worth passing,” counters Representative Dan Branch, R-Dallas, author of the no cell phone is the school zone bill. “Protecting children in the school zones is important.”

Seat Belts Laws

Two laws were enhanced to address seat belt safety.

After several years of seeing crash scenes where seat belts made a difference between life and death, Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo was inspired to lobby for seat belt laws to include back seat passengers.  He requested that state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, file a bill on the measure.

Now, all passengers in a vehicle, no matter what age, must be restrained by a seat belt.  Previously, only the driver, front passenger(s) and minors had to be restrained.
“The main goal was to keep human beings from becoming projectiles and either causing death or serious trauma,” Willingham said.

Another law was amended to require a child safety seat for minors under 8 years old who are not at least 4 feet, 9 inches tall.  The law previously applied to children under the age of 5, who were shorter than 36 inches.  First offenders receive a fine of $25 and violators for the second offense pay $250.  Conviction of an offense under this section creates a new court cost that is collected and used to buy safety seats for low-income families.

For more information on these and other new state laws, visit http://www.drivinglaws.org.