Nebraska Texting Ban Starts Today

July 15, 2010 1:45 PM


Thursday, Nebraska joins Iowa for states that have banned texting behind the wheel.

The new Nebraska law bans using a handheld wireless communication device to read, manually type, or send a written communication while driving.

What folks may not know is that a cell phone is not the only electronic device made illegal by the Nebraska law. Pagers, personal digital assistants or P-D-As and laptops are some of the devices you're not supposed to use.

And even though texting while driving is considered a secondary violation, violators will face heavy fines. Your first offense will cost you 200-bucks. It's 300 for a second offense and 500 dollars after that.

Iowa's "no texting and driving" law took effect July first .That means no sending or reading texts, or e-mailing from your phone.

Also, drivers 18 and younger with intermediate licenses, can't even talk on their cell phones while riding in a car. The fine for breaking the Iowa law? 100-dollars. Unlike Nebraska, Iowans get a grace period and won't be fined until next June.

In South Dakota, however, texting and driving is still legal.

South Dakota officials say, in a car accident, authorities would have to prove that texting was the cause to issue some sort of fine.