Texting and Driving in Mississippi No More!
Mississippi’s Governor signed into law a ban on texting while driving in Mississippi. The new law prohibits drivers from writing, sending or reading a text, email or message or from accessing a social networking site from their hand-held device. There is an exception for messages regarding an emergency, traffic or weather alert, messages regarding the operation or navigation of the vehicle, or using a hands-free setting.
The law does not appear to directly prohibit surfing the web or otherwise using your mobile device while driving.
The law does not criminalize this behavior, instead treating it as a civil violation, imposing a $25 fine during its inaugural year, then $100 after that. There is a sunset provision for the law in 2018.
The new law takes effect July 1, 2015.
