Police: New Distracted Driving Law Isn't So New

Colleen Chen News 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A distracted driving law in Oklahoma took effect on November 1, 2010, but many police officers said it won't change much when it comes to enforcement.

"They've simply added personal communication devices to the already existing distracted driving laws. It's still only a secondary offense. If we see someone texting and driving or using a cell phone while driving, we can't do anything unless they're committing another traffic violation like running a stop sign," said Lt. Jerry Kennedy with Midwest City Police. "The new laws don't really give us any more power than we already had. Most cities already have local distracted driving laws that cover any distraction including electronics."

He believes drivers who text and use phones will continue to do so since there is no real immediate consequence.

"Law enforcement in other states like California can pull people over and issue citations for texting and cell phone use as a primary offense. My son is out there and he definitely no longer drives while using a phone anymore," Kennedy said.

Another law that took effect in Oklahoma on November 1, 2010, is aimed at teen drivers. Lawmakers said teen drivers can now face penalties like license suspension if caught using electronic devices. However, Kennedy is worried about how to enforce that.

"It puts officers in the position of having to profile the age of a driver. This is not going to be effectively enforced," Kennedy added.

Regardless, Kennedy said he doesn't believe the law is a bad law and hopes the awareness it brings will cause the public to police themselves.