Alabama Considers New Texting Ban to Fight Increase in Distracted Driver Accidents
In a move possibly inspired by neighboring state Georgia, Alabama is considering the same type of distracted driving law implemented in July for the entire state of Georgia. This law made it illegal for drivers to hold their phone, GPS, tablet, or any device while driving—or even while the driver is stopped at a red light. Rather than being called a “no-texting” law, the proposed bill would be known as a distracted driving law, with a first offense carrying a $50 fine, adding two points to an Alabama driver’s license. A second offense would add three points to a driver’s license—the same number of points as many other driving violations, including speeding. In the state of Alabama, racking up 12-14 points on a driver’s license during a specific length of time can result in a license suspension.
Distracted driving is the new drunk driving: there’s no denying it. While deaths caused by drunk driving have been declining in the last several decades—thanks to tougher laws, better enforcement, and public education—distracted driving injuries and deaths have actually been on the rise.
DistractedDriving.gov 
Driving down the road at night, with the rain picking up, it’s becoming more and more difficult to see. As your visibility lessens, you see something dart in your peripheral vision, a streak of gray in the darkness.
You slam on your breaks, but it’s too late. The front of your pick-up collides with the front end of something, shaking your vehicle.
After recovering from the initial shock, you get out of your truck, fearful of the damage. You find a deer, a young buck, actually, dead in front of you bumper. There is damage to the front of your car, but it is only superficial, and you are able to drive the truck home. Deciding what to do next may prove more difficult than you anticipated.
Distracted driving
A recent tragedy, which has rocked the small town of Harrisonville, Missouri, is a stark reminder of the dangers of texting and driving.
MSNewsNow reported that Missouri teen Savannah Nash was killed in an accident involving a semi truck on May 16. According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, she was texting at the time of the crash. Police found a long text, unsent, on her phone at the scene.
Nash had just turned 16 a week prior to the fatal accident and had only had her intermediate driver’s license a few days. (Missouri is one state that uses a