Texting while driving to receive harsher penalties in VA

On Tuesday, Virginia lawmakers will vote on a proposal to change texting while driving from a secondary offense with a $50 fine, to a primary offense carrying a $250 ticket for first-time offenders. This bill will allow police officers to pull drivers over if they are observed texting, whereas the current law limits ticketing to those already pulled over for another reason such as swerving or running a traffic light. The bill was approved by The House Courts of Justice Committee, and will go up for vote on Tuesday.