SILVER SPRING, Md. (WUSA) -- Maryland has made it illegal to text and drive, but lawmakers discovered some loopholes in their original law. Those gaps will be closed with a new law that will take effect Saturday.What you should know:
1. Not only can you not text and send messages but no longer will you be able to read and receive texts.
2. The law applies both while driving or stopped at a light.
3. Police can stop you if they see you texting; before police needed another traffic violation to cite you for texting (secondary offense) but now they can stop you just for texting ( a primary offense).
4. You can be fined $70 and get 1 point on your driver's license but if police determine texting caused an accident, the fine
jumps to $110 and 3 points.
5. Your driver's license can be suspended with as little as 8 points and revoked at 12.
2. The law applies both while driving or stopped at a light.
3. Police can stop you if they see you texting; before police needed another traffic violation to cite you for texting (secondary offense) but now they can stop you just for texting ( a primary offense).
4. You can be fined $70 and get 1 point on your driver's license but if police determine texting caused an accident, the fine
jumps to $110 and 3 points.
5. Your driver's license can be suspended with as little as 8 points and revoked at 12.
You can also be criminally responsible if texting caused an accident that resulted in a death.
Lon Anderson, AAA Spokesperson, says, "When you get right down to it, texting and driving is stupid. You are begging to be in an accident."
Mirta Hanc says, "Yeah, I'm guilty as charged. I find myself from time to time. I try not to. But the new law will change my behavior. I think so."
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