JEFFERSON CITY — A plan to outlaw texting while driving in Missouri is headed to Gov. Mike Parson’s desk.
The measure, which was endorsed in the House earlier this week, won final approval in the Senate Thursday on a 26-7 vote.
Missouri and Montana are the only states not to outlaw texting and driving for all motorists. Drivers age 21 and younger in Missouri already aren’t allowed to text and drive.
Texting while driving would be considered a secondary traffic offense. That means police would have to pull over a driver for a primary offense, such as running a stop sign or speeding, in order to cite the driver for texting while driving.
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Police also wouldn’t be able to access information on the phone unless the user was involved in a serious accident, said Sen. Nick Schroer, R-Defiance, who sponsored the measure.
The proposed new law, which would go into effect in August, comes as the latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows distracted driving fatalities increased by 11% to 3,211 deaths from 2020 to 2021.
Since 2018, distracted driving fatalities have increased by 21%, and the fatality rate is the highest it’s been since 2016.
The legislation would forbid people from holding or supporting an “electronic communication device†while driving, with exceptions such as when they are accessing a map for navigational purposes or playing a song stored on their phone.
It would also outlaw writing, sending or reading text-based communications while driving unless used with a voice-operated, hands-free feature.
Phone calls also wouldn’t be allowed unless used with a hands-free, voice-operated feature.
Motorists also wouldn’t be allowed to participate in video conferences or record videos while driving unless the recording is for the sole purpose of monitoring operator behavior. The ºüÀêÊÓƵ Board of Aldermen last year considered a measure that would have barred its members from participating in meetings online while driving. New rules, , effectively ended the practice by barring members from voting or being counted as present if they were operating a motor vehicle.
Exceptions in the legislation include one for emergency personnel performing official duties and another for individuals reporting an emergency situation to 911.
Motorists using their phones while their vehicles are “lawfully stopped or parked†also couldn’t be fined.
The proposal includes enhanced penalties for repeat offenders, violations occurring in a work zone when workers are present, violations occurring in a school zone, and violations that are the proximate cause of property damage, personal injury or death.
The measure also launches a program where car buyers can pay their sales taxes directly to auto dealers rather than having to pay them at a driver’s license facility after they purchase a vehicle. Schroer said the change will address a large number of people who don’t pay their sales taxes and drive on long-expired temporary tags.
The legislation is