A new state law, intended to stop texting while driving, is going to be a headache for police officers to enforce, says Greenwood Police Chief Ray Moore.
The law, which went into effect July 1, is a civil violation rather than a criminal one, meaning that tickets go through Leflore County Justice Court instead of Greenwood Municipal Court, where most city traffic citations are handled, the chief said.
The law bans drivers from using phones for texting and social media. It replaced a law that prohibited school bus drivers and “novice drivers” — for example, those with a learner’s permit — from texting while driving.
Moore said the department has issued one ticket for texting while driving since the law went into effect. In that case, the motorist ran a red light and, when stopped by an officer, admitted he had been texting a friend and simply didn’t notice the stop light.
Greenwood Municipal Court and Leflore County Justice Court are housed in the same building, but an officer still must call and get a Justice Court date while writing the citation, Moore said.
In addition, with the relocation of the Municipal Court, each individual citation requires the officer to strike through the pre-printed information about the court’s address.
Leflore County Sheriff Ricky Banks said he wasn’t aware of any citations being issued in the county. He remarked that it also would be difficult for deputies to discover drivers texting unless they drive right up on them.
State Sen. David Jordan, D-Greenwood, said the new law isn’t perfect but is a start. He said it might be reviewed by the state Legislature in a year or two. Texting while driving is “very dangerous,” and the Legislature’s efforts are an attempt to address that, he said.
State Sen. Lydia Chassaniol, R-Winona, said she spends a lot of time on the road and has seen drivers texting. She also said the legislation was a good start. “If it needs to be improved, well, that’s one of the reasons why we go to Jackson every January,” Chassaniol said.
• Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
