9/1/05 Will bring New Traffic Laws to Texas

A number of notable Texas traffic and drivingTDOT and other bureaux, to prove a check
laws designed to grow safety on the roads andprogram for motor vehicle insurance in order to
drivers education awareness go into effect ontry and tighten the total of uninsured automobile
September 1.operators.
Operators under the age of Drivers will at presentSB 1257 forbids use of wireless communications
have a harder time getting traffic tickets flushedhardware (including cellular phones) for the first six
from their record. SB 1005 provides that if acalendar months after teenagers acquire their
driver younger than automobile operators yearsdriver licenses. The bill also disallows passenger bus
of age commits a traffic offense classified as adrivers transporting those under 18 from
moving violation, the judge must necessitate theemploying wireless communications equipment,
driver to complete a classroom based or onlineexcept in emergencies or when the bus is
defensive driving course. Beyond that, if thestopped. Use of wireless hardware has become
driver holds a provisional driver license - in otherubiquitous and is under suspicion of causing
words, is under 18 years of age - they mustaccidents.
submit to a Texas DPS road test in addition toMany of the items addressed by by these laws
taking an offline or online defensive driving course.are talked about in the available State defensive
Failure by the driver to meet this requirement willdriving courses offered up online and in classroom
result in a final conviction for that traffic offense.settings. Prices could vary for drivers safety
Proof of insurance will be enforced through thecourses but the lower limit they can be by law in
new State law SB 1670. This law takes thethe state of Texas is $25.
Department of Insurance, in conjunction with