Bill of the Week: Lawmaking While Driving

HB 62 – Author: Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland

Ever sat at a junction with a green light and the car in front of you won't move? Of course you have, and the odds are that driver was busy futzing with their phone. Finally, the Texas Legislature may do something about driving while texting. Well, finally may be the wrong word. Former House Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland, has filed a hands-free cell phone bill during each of the last three sessions. In 2011, it passed both House and Senate, only to be vetoed by former Gov. Rick Perry; then in 2013 and 2015, Craddick's bill passed the House, but went down in the Senate. Yet, in an attempt to cut down on Texas' share of the thousands of distracted driving fatalities nationally every year, Craddick is trying again, via House Bill 62.

Texas is one of the few holdouts on this issue. It's one of only four states – along with Arizona, Missouri, and Montana – that still allows texting while driving. Even within the state, the practice is becoming less acceptable, with nearly 100 municipalities enacting local bans (including Austin). Craddick's measure would simply create more predictable regulations, standardize fines, and place warning signs everywhere a highway crosses state lines. The bill does have three exemptions: licensed CB radio users, people calling emergency services, or anyone receiving an emergency call or text. For others, it only applies while the vehicle is actually moving.