Senate proposal would give states grants to ban texting

Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W. Va., chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, and Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., introduced a bill that would give states a total of $30 million in grants to pass laws banning texting behind the wheel and taking other steps to stop distracted driving.

The Rockefeller bill would also urge states to require drivers using a cell phone to use a hands-free device and to prohibit novice drivers under age 18 from using any cell phone while driving. States would have to make violations a primary offense, meaning that a law enforcement officer does not need a reason to pull over the driver other than for a violation of the distracted driving law.

"Everyone knows the dangers on the road created by distracted drivers. They are a threat to all families, and serious action must be taken," Rockefeller said.

Rockefeller's committee was holding a hearing Wednesday on the matter, with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Federal Communications Chairman Julius Genachowski testifying.

"Distracted driving is a dangerous practice that has become a deadly epidemic," LaHood said. "It is clear that this problem is not only getting worse, and that the youngest Americans are most at-risk."