Texting while driving ban clears panel

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Tapping on your BlackBerry or iPhone while at the wheel of a car is going to cost you if a bill overwhelmingly endorsed by a Senate committee becomes law.

On a 10-4 vote Monday, the Senate Courts of Justice Committee approved legislation that makes texting or e-mailing while driving a primary offense in Virginia.

It's already a secondary offense, meaning police have to have other grounds to stop a motorist.

Democratic Sen. George Barker of Fairfax said his bill authorizing police to hit the blue lights just for catching a driver texting addresses a huge surge in traffic accidents attributed to texting drivers and public anger over it.

Opponents questioned whether the bill would give police power to confiscate people's phones or pre-empt a more serious charge of reckless driving.