Bill would increase penalties for texting while driving in Colorado to $500 from $50 for 1st-timers

[TexasTowelie]

Days after the woman who killed Brian and Jacquie Lehner received a 20-year prison sentence, the couple’s friends went to the Capitol to deliver a message to lawmakers about texting while driving.

“It is absolutely … killing people,” Cara Denney told a state Senate committee Wednesday. “It’s killing people we know — that we love — and it’s time for change.”

The woman who veered into oncoming traffic and hit the Lehners’ motorcycle was driving drunk and texting on her phone at the time of the crash. And now the couple’s friends want lawmakers to increase the penalties for texting while driving to deter others.

The measure — Senate Bill 27 — would increase the penalty for texting while driving to $500 and five points on a driver’s license for a first offense. The current penalty for first-timers is a $50 fine and one point, ranking it near the bottom in the nation.

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/2017/01/25/texting-while-driving-penalties-bill/

[braddy]

1. The way this works for the dirt poor without family is, $500.00 fine, can't pay it, warrant issued,

arrested at some traffic ticket someday in the future, spend several days in jail trying to raise bond, or a judge, car towed and the fee is too high to get it out, lose job, lose apartment, become homeless, spend a year or more trying to get back on your feet.

These huge fines are killers for the people barely treading water.

[TexasTowelie]

2. That is certainly a possibility

or the alternative is to not text and drive. Considering that I share the road with those other drivers (particularly as a pedestrian or bicycle rider) I hope that is the decision the driver makes.

[braddy]

4. It wasn't meant as a defense for breaking the law of course, just a complaint about these penalties

and add on fees that can wipe some people out, while meaning little to others.

I have never texted myself, but some of these traffic fines are getting out of hand.

[TexasTowelie]

5. I've paid some pretty high fines myself

so I do understand your point. I tend to lean towards an amount that is consistent with a ticket for speeding or running a signal light. It needs to be sufficient to impact behavior without it being overly burdensome.

[braddy]

6. Unfortunately, I know the scenario that I offered, fines that I couldn't pay, I really worry

about the electronic red light sensors, or interstate speeding sensors, and especially the fines on the "move over" law, which I hope have been reduced.

Here is an old 2007 article about Virginia, I hope it is outdated now, or perhaps an inaccurate story in the first place.

https://www.thenewspaper.com/news/20/2032.asp

[exboyfil]

3. As opposed to getting run over by some fool texter

My daughters and I almost got run over in our neighborhood by some fool kid on his phone while we were walking. Walk against traffic doesn't do a bit of good if someone crosses into the other lane behind you.