N.H. House Votes to Ban Texting While Driving

The New Hampshire House voted Tuesday to make it illegal for drivers to send text messages on cell phones or type on laptop computers or other electronic devices, the Associated Press reported.

Relaying information between a for-hire operator and a dispatcher also would be exempt, as would receiving driving instructions via a global positioning system, AP said.

Violators would face a $100 fine, although talking on a cell phone while driving still would be allowed, AP reported. The 176-149 vote sent the bill to the state’s Senate.

New Hampshire already has a law allowing police to ticket distracted drivers, and some critics said that law includes text messaging, AP said.

Rep. Jennifer Brown, D-Dover, pointed out that the bill specifically permits drivers to punch in telephone numbers. She said the ban would be hard to enforce because drivers could claim they were dialing a number, not text messaging.

Supporters said the law does not do enough to address the risks of drivers becoming distracted when texting or using computers while driving, AP reported.