PNA Law - Northern Virginia Criminal Lawyers
Initial reports examining the first several months of texting while driving has shown that the law is difficult to enforce. When this law is examined it is obvious that a guilty or not guilty may not be easy to prove. The law is written in such a way to allow drivers to still talk on their phones, but trying to prohibit drivers from doing other things.
The new Virginia law officially makes it illegal to enter multiple letters or text into the device in order to communicate with another person. It is not, however, illegal to enter any numbers.
Additionally, the new law, which took effect July 1, 2013 makes it illegal for a person to read any email or text message. This doesn’t apply to reading any number stored or any called identification information. Drivers are also not barred from using GPS systems or texting when the vehicle is not in motion.
So even if an officer cites a driver who is using a handheld device, it may be very difficult for the officer to prove the driver was engaged in a banned activity. The fine is a $125 ticket in addition to points on the driver’s license if found guilty.