OR Bill Targets Drivers Distracted By Their Phones
Drivers caught talking or texting behind the wheel in Oregon would feel the pinch of doing so if a bill passes through the Oregon Legislature.
The bill by Senate President Peter Courtney would make the penalty much stiffer by increasing the fine from $250 to as much as $1,000. Courtney, a Democrat, says he wants to see distracted driving treated the same way as driving drunk.
Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee watched a video demonstrating the dangers of
texting and driving, and heard from officers who support the bill. The proposed law is intended to make drivers take the law more seriously.
There's a separate bill in the House that seeks to increase the fine to $2,000.