Paying a higher price for texting and driving

WTNH TV

Updated: Feb 4, 2013 12:31 PM

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) -- If you're still out driving and texting, state lawmakers want to make you pay a higher price if you get caught.
        
The state legislature's transportation committee is holding a public hearing today on a plan that would double the fines for 'talking or texting' while driving.

For Dawn Jeffery it's personal, having lost a beloved friend, Dorsey, when he was hit and killed by a teen driver on a cell phone.

"It was senseless and we can change it, we don't have to have people driving with their phones," Jeffrey said.

Jeffrey was able to convince local lawmakers to propose not just boosting, but doubling fines for those talking or texting on cell phones without hands free devices.

The first ticket would go up to $200 and another offense could cost $500.

"It's just not that important, a call or a text is just not worth it," Jeffrey said.

If you look into the details of the bill you will see it calls for some of the new revenue to go right back to the police department that issued the ticket.

"It's not to be punitive, and it's certainly not to increase the coffers for the state budget deficit. It's going to take a lot more than this to accomplish that," said State Rep. David Scribner

"We need to know that one second off the road can change your life and someone else's life forever," said Jeffrey.

This is just a proposal and still needs the okay of the general assembly.

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