A new bill is being introduced at the state Capitol that would ban texting behind the wheel statewide. Republican lawmaker John Kavanagh is introducing House Bill 2069 that will ban drivers from writing or sending written messages on Arizona roadways.
Violators could face a $100 fine. If texting leads to a crash, the fine would jump to $500 and if driver causes a deadly crash while texting the fine could go as high as $10,000.
The legislation comes a day after the Salt River Police Department laid one of their own to rest. Officer Clayton Townsend was killed on duty during a traffic stop on the Loop 101 in Scottsdale by a driver police say admitted to texting during the incident.
Arizona joins Missouri and Montana as the only three states without a state-wide texting and driving ban in the U.S.