Govan(left),Stewart(right) at cell phone meeting

A House panel voted Wednesday in support of a measure that would ban text-messaging and using a hand held cell phone while driving. The Transportation Subcommittee passed on the bill on a 6-0 vote, but defeated Aiken County Republican Jim Stewart’s amendment to limit the ban to texting only, excluding cell phones. That amendment was defeated 5-1.

Orangeburg Representative Jerry Govan was among the lawmakers favoring a ban on both, saying that the cell phone part should be decided in full committee or on the floor.  The panel also included an amendment that would set strict penalties for school bus drivers who text while driving.

Govan brought up information from the National Transportation Safety Administration. That shows that 11 percent of drivers are using cell phones at any one time, and that cell phone use increases crash risk by four times. One percent of drivers are pushing buttons at any given time, and that includes texting. The Administration’s research indicates that texting increases crash risk by eight times. [Read more...]