Kansas’ move to become the 26th state to outlaw texting while driving has drawn praise from U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood for pushing the country past the halfway mark to a nationwide ban on the practice.
The ban for all drivers in Kansas takes effect Jan. 1. In the meantime, law enforcement officers can stop texting drivers and hand out warnings for distracted driving.
In a statement commending Gov. Mark Parkinson (D) for signing the measure into law Monday, LaHood said the governor “has helped save lives and will make Kansas roads safer for everyone.”
Once the ban takes effect, offenders must pay $60 fines and, because the law is considered primary, police officers can stop motorists suspected of texting alone.
If the legislature had made texting a secondary offense, police would have been able to issue tickets only if drivers were stopped for another traffic violation first.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration developed sample legislation that states can use in creating texting bans.
The sample is modeled after President Obama’s Oct. 1 Executive Order that bans federal employees from texting while operating government-owned vehicles.
