Anderson Law Firm

Arlington Officially Bans Texting While Driving

You have until Thanksgiving to text while driving in Arlington, but after that the city's ban on texting while driving will be in full force. That means if you get caught sending an "Lol" to a friend, you could pay about $200. In 5-3 vote Tuesday night, the Arlington City Council approved the controversial ban on texting and driving.

The official day the ban goes into effect will be announced in a few weeks, but for now drivers caught texting will receive warnings in what Arlington police public information officer Tiara Ellis Richard calls an "education" period.

I've written about this texting in Arlington ban several times now on my blogs and I'm happy to see it finally go into effect. We all know that drivers in a moving vehicle that aren't looking at the road, but instead at their cell phones are distracted. And what do distracted drivers do? Cause car accidents! In recent years at my personal injury law firm in Fort Worth, more and more of my client's car accidents have been caused by drivers either talking or texting while driving. Texting and driving will make you more likely to have a car wreck - isn't that obvious?

However, looking at all the controversy around this ban in Arlington you'd be surprised how many people don't want safer roads. Some people are mad about the ban because they think it's an over-reach of government. I'll admit, I don't want the government telling me what to do in every aspect of life and they shouldn't have to tell us not to text and drive. But then again the government should have to tell us not to drink and drive or carry car insurance, but it still does. I think what proponents of this bill are missing is that this law doesn't affect you if you aren't texting and driving. This ban also won't prevent you from texting and driving - you'll just pay a fine if you get caught.

I believe that if laws like this one in Arlington will make at least a few drivers stop texting and driving it's worth it. I'm willing to bet this law will even save somebody's life. Got an opinion on texting and driving laws? Feel free to comment below. And if you have been hurt by a driver that was texting while driving, give me a call. I'm a car accident attorney in Fort Worth with more than 20 years of experience dealing with insurance companies and auto accident claims in DFW.