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Published: June 3, 2019
By: Tryfon Boukouvidis, LSU Manship News Service
BATON ROUGE—Lawmakers have considered a bill that seeks to address the spike in cellphone-related accidents and deaths on Louisiana roads.
A bill by Mike Huval, R-Breaux Bridge, would expand the existing ban of cellphone usage while driving in school zones to all roads.
The proposal would also decrease the fines associated with texting while driving from $500 to $100 for a first violation and from $1,000 to $300 for a second violation.
A third violation would then incur fines of up to $300. The proposal would also lower the driver’s license suspension for a third violation from 60 to 30 days.
Safe driving practices, Huval said, is the main idea behind his bill. He cited other states that enforced similar legislation and as a consequence reported a decline in fatal car accidents.
Cellphone-related fatal accidents are on the rise in the state, according to data from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. This year, there were nine fatalities and 317 cases of injury due to cell phone distractions, the data shows.
Read more at KALB.com.
LSU Manship School Statehouse Bureau 