Admit it! You’ve done it at least a few times… texting while driving. But you may not be able to do it much longer. It could soon be against the law in Arizona. A bill is working its way through the state legislature that would ban the practice. Arizona actually passed a bill last year that bans the use of any wireless device while driving by anyone under the age of 18. Now, state lawmakers are looking to extend that to all ages.

“Distracted driving and fatigued driving are by far two of the most common causes of motor vehicle collisions that we see,” said Personal Injury Attorney Ken Gerber. “We can always hope that people are going to be careful just because of common sense and because of the risks involved. But the truth is that people make poor choices every day.”

Personal Injury Attorney Gerber says the law would help attorneys prove negligence to the jury. “When there is a violation of a statute, we can argue “Negligence Per Se” where the judge only instructs the jury to decide if a law has been violated,” explained Gerber. “If the law has been violated, then the person is negligent. This law would be an effective tool in our pursuit to protect the rights of our injured clients.”

New Law Will Help Attorneys

Sen. Steve Farley from Tucson is the sponsor of the bill. He’s been advocating for similar legislation since 2007. There are exceptions to the bill that include allowing use of the devices for navigation, to report emergencies and crime, or to activate music.

“We may not necessarily see a decrease in the number of collisions and injuries from distracted driving if this bill is passed, but I support this law,” said Gerber.