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Starting tomorrow morning, a fairly encompassing law concerning using electronic communications devices while driving becomes law in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania’s legislators finally have followed suit with the neighboring states of New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland.

“Talking on a hand-held cellphone while driving is banned in 10 states (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Utah, and Washington) and the District of Columbia. Utah has named the offense careless driving. Under the Utah law, no one commits an offense when speaking on a cellphone unless they are also committing some other moving violation other than speeding.”

WGAL-TV 8 carried this story about the new law.

“A new law that affects many drivers will go into effect Thursday. The new law will make it illegal to text while driving. Everyone is potentially affected because those who text while driving put others in danger. Pennsylvania’s texting ban aims at improving safety on roadways by reducing distracted driving.

“The law will prohibit drivers of all ages from using interactive wireless communication devices for the purposes of reading, writing or sending a text message or email while operating a motor vehicle.Any driver who reads, selects or enters a phone number or name in an interactive wireless communication device for the purpose of making a phone call will not be in violation of the texting ban, according to the law.Texting and driving will be classified as a primary offense. That’s different than other states’ laws, meaning an officer in Pennsylvania can pull you over for that offense, even if the driver is doing nothing else wrong.” You can read the WGAL-TV 8 report in full here.

There’s a good slide show reviewing the details of the law at WGAL-TV 8, too.

Lawmakers tell drivers texting isn’t OK: Police question enforceability

Today’s Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era includes the above article as it deals with the complexities and possible complications with the enforcement of the law.

“Despite the law’s apparent common sense, its limited wording and undeveloped precedents might pose problems for law enforcement.

“The ban ‘is very narrow in its scope,’ Lt. Todd Umstead of the Lancaster city police said. ‘It doesn’t say you can’t dial a phone number or look at a phone. I wouldn’t recommend you do either of those from a safety perspective, whether it’s the law or not, but it does present a challenge for us in terms of how we’re going to enforce this.’

“Precisely, the law “prohibits as a primary offense any driver from using an Interactive Wireless Communication Device (IWCD) to send, read or write a text based communication while his or her vehicle is in motion.”

“It defines an IWCD as ‘a wireless phone, personal digital assistant, smart phone, portable or mobile computer or similar device that can be used for texting, instant messaging, emailing or browsing the Internet,’ and a text-based communication as a ‘text message, instant message, email or other written communication composed or received on an IWCD.’

“It explicitly exempts ‘the use of a GPS device, a system or device that is physically or electronically integrated into the vehicle, or a communications device that is affixed to a mass transit vehicle, bus or school bus.’

“The fact that many smart phones contain GPS software, as well as a variety of games and other apps, will make it difficult for police to distinguish between text messaging and other cellphone-based activities, Umstead said.” To continue reading this article, click here.