Pre-filed bill would ban Missouri drivers of all ages from texting and driving
Missouri lawmakers are trying once again to pass legislation that would expand the state’s current ban on texting while driving.
“Everybody knows we should have something like this, but people just don’t want to give up their ability to talk on the phone,” said Rep. Cloria Brown, (R) St. Louis, who sponsors House Bill 284.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol said distracted driving is the leading cause of traffic crashes in the state. So far this year, 14 people have died and 816 have been injured in more than 1,700 crashes that involved cell phones.
Current state law prohibits drivers 21 years old or younger from texting. Brown’s pre-filed bill would apply to drivers of all ages.
“It’s wrong for someone 18 to text, it’s wrong for someone 80 to text,” she said. “It’s just wrong.”
HB 284 would allow for hands-free communication such as voice-recognition texting.
Brown filed similar legislation in 2016, but it failed to pass through a committee hearing. She said she plans to file a bill next week that applies just to texting, which she thinks has a better chance of becoming a law.
