The Texting Ban passed the South Dakota Senate on Tuesday. SB-142 makes texting while driving illegal across South Dakota. Supporters say the current bill still does not go far enough. They say that operating all electronic devices while behind the wheel should be illegal – not just texting on a cell phone.
Senator Mike Vehle says mobile devices are increasingly present today and texting has become an important part of our culture. He maintains that driving while distracted is dangerous.
“Some would say it’s their individual right to text. But it’s like drinking. You can sit at home and get just as drunk as you want. But society has said you best not get behind the wheel of a car if you’re going to get drunk. Same thing is true with texting. There’s nothing wrong with texting…just don’t do it while you’re driving,” says Vehle.
Opponents say the bill is difficult to enforce and that texting while driving should already be covered by existing careless driving laws. Opponents also express the importance of enforcing existing laws in lieu of passing new ones. They add that technology will evolve in the future and perhaps render texting, and texting laws, irrelevant.