Amended Senate Bill Make Texting A Primary Offense
Senate passes amended bill making texting while driving a primary offense
By BARBARA HOBEROCK World Capitol Bureau
OKLAHOMA CITY — Texting while driving would be a primary offense under a measure passed Wednesday by the Oklahoma Senate.
House Bill 1965 was approved by a 38-6 vote and returns to the House for consideration.
The measure initially made texting while driving a secondary offense, but Sen. Ervin Yen, R-Oklahoma City, was successful in amending the measure to make it a primary offense.
The amendment passed by a vote of 23-20.
As a primary offense, drivers could be pulled over for texting while driving and be given a citation. As a secondary offense, the driver would have to be stopped for another infraction first before being cited for texting while driving.