West Virginia law targets texting while driving and hands-on phone use

West Virginia recently passed a law that bans texting while driving.  Texting while driving is now a primary offense and anyone caught texting while driving can be pulled over and fined $100.  Driving with a hand on the phone is also illegal. However, it is currently a secondary offense and wont trigger a traffic stop unless the driver is also committing a primary offense like speeding or reckless driving.  That will change in  July 2013 when hands-on phone driving also becomes a primary offense.

Many are unaware of these recent changes in the law.  So West Virginia is placing reminders to not to text while driving.  Message boards along the interstates and the West Virginia Turnpike are also displaying the drive hands-free slogan as part of an ongoing safety campaign.

Governor Tomblin first proposed the distracted driving legislation in response to the recent increase in accidents and injuries caused by texting while driving.  Tomblin is asking parents to talk with their young drivers about the deadly risks of texting while driving. The governor’s message has been, “a moment of distraction can change life in an instant; don’t let your last words be a text.”  The slogan might sound hokey, but a quick Google search will reveal that texting while drive has caused a startling number of fatal accidents.

If you have been injured in an automobile accident and suspect the other driver was texting, feel free to call a West Virginia personal injury lawyer at West Law Offices for a free consultation.   If you have young drivers in your family, please discuss with them the grave risks of distracted driving, especially driving while texting.  It seems the younger we are, the less aware we are of our mortality.

Brooks West, Esq.

Brooks West is a personal injury lawyer, founder, and President of West Law Firm. He has been helping those wrongfully injured in West Virginia for almost two decades. The results and service he provides his clients have earned him membership in the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Brooks is most proud of the many 5-star reviews he has received from satisfied clients.