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varying texting bans across the state.
• A violation of the texting ban would be a misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine.
• The measure's main sponsor, Sen. Mike Vehle, R-Mitchell, acknowledged that enforcement could be difficult but said a law would deter people from texting while driving simply because it would be illegal.
• "For me, it's not about tickets. It's not about fines. It's about creating a culture of not texting while driving," said Vehle, chairman of the committee. "How do you change that culture? You need to pass a law first."
• Terry Sorensen of Sioux Falls also told the committee how his son was killed last year in an accident caused by a texting driver, saying: "It needs to stop." Representatives of insurance companies, trucking companies, police chiefs and prosecutors also urged the committee to pass the bill.
• U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is trying to get the remaining 11 states to enact bans, citing statistics that indicate texting while driving is dangerous. A 2009 study of commercial-vehicle drivers found that those texting while driving were 23 times more likely than non-texting drivers to be involved in crashes, near crashes or other risky behavior such as drifting into another lane, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
• Sen. David Omdahl, R-Sioux Falls, said he voted against the measure because he thinks a texting ban would be difficult to enforce. He said he believes the state should instead increase enforcement of an existing law banning careless driving.
• Mitchell Police Chief Lyndon Overweg said enforcing the careless driving law requires seeing a driver do something dangerous, and by that time it's often too late to prevent an accident. But he said law officers in 39 other states are enforcing texting bans, so South Dakota officers will also be able to do so.
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