Pennsylvania Senate Gets Tougher On Texting While Driving

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) - The state Senate has taken a major step – approving an amendment that would ban texting while driving in Pennsylvania.

The state Senate has been reluctant to go as far as the House when addressing distracted driving. While the House has indicated its support for making texting and the use of hand-held cell phones while driving a primary offense, the Senate has so far only been willing to consider them as secondary offenses. But Tuesday, as the Senate debated a bill dealing with distracted driving and junior driver issues, Allegheny County Democrat Jim Ferlo offered an amendment on texting.

"Let's ban text messaging – let's make it a primary offense," Ferlo requested.

Democrat John Wozniak disagrees.

"By making it a primary offense, I don't think we're really going to have anything that's going to change out there except some very irate people."

But the Senate went along with the amendment to make texting a primary offense and the bill into which it was inserted could get a vote as soon as today.

Reported by Tony Romeo, KYW Newsradio