North Carolina House Weighs Ban on Text Messaging by Drivers

The North Carolina General Assembly already has passed a law barring teenagers from talking on a cell phone while driving. Now some legislators want to stop all drivers from text messaging.

Some House members scheduled a Legislative Building news conference Tuesday to talk about a texting bill they sponsored this session.

The bill would make texting punishable by up to a $100 fine and court costs. No driver’s license points or insurance penalties would be issued. Emergency personnel would be exempt from the law.

The Legislature agreed in 2006 to penalize motorists under age 18 caught using a cell phone. An insurance industry study released last June found that cell phone use by high school students was about the same before and after the law began.