Although a majority of South Carolina’s legislators have shown support for a statewide ban on texting while driving as a public safety issue, a Senate panel has decided that it will postpone acting on a proposed ban until at least 2014.

State senators who backed the proposed ban on texting while driving say they will use the additional time to make improvements to the legislation so that it can be presented again in 2014.

As currently written, the proposal would not allow a person to drive a vehicle while using a wireless communications device to write, send or read a text-based message. It would apply to cell phones, PDAs, tablets and other small computers. South Carolina is one of 11 states without a law banning text messaging by drivers.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 3,331 people died in crashes involving a distracted driver in 2011 and an additional 387,000 people suffered injuries. Those numbers represent increases from the previous year.

Need Legal Help?

Distracted drivers cause many preventable car accidents in South Carolina and across the nation. The attorneys at the Joye Law Firm understand that a car crash can have physical, emotional and financial consequences for all involved. That’s why we’re ready to fight for your rights. If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in an accident caused by a distracted driver, please contact us for a free consultation. Call 877-941-2615 to discuss the details of your car accident or fill out our convenient online form today.

About the Author

Mark Joye is the Head of the Litigation Department at the Joye Law Firm. A Board-Certified Trial Advocate with nearly 30 years of litigation experience, he currently serves on the Board of Governors for the American Association for Justice and is a past president of the South Carolina Association for Justice. In a recent trial, Joye headed a trial team that secured $17 million for a family killed in a tractor-trailer accident.

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