Staying off the cell phone – especially texting! – while driving in a school zone is clearly common sense, but now it might be enforced by law. House Bill 55 just passed the Senate and now heads to the governor’s desk.
The bill by Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, would prohibit the use of a “wireless communication device” while driving in a school zone, with exceptions for calls to emergency services and calls by operators of emergency vehicles, or if the device is “hands-free.” School bus drivers are banned from calling under any circumstances until the vehicle is completely stopped.
Who says nothing sensible ever comes out of the Lege?
This article appears in May 22 • 2009.