Alaska News

Both hands on the wheel, Alaskans: No more driving and texting

Consider yourselves warned, chronic texters and Facebookers.

Governor Sean Parnell on Thursday signed into law a bill that bans texting and other kinds of non-voice communication while driving in Alaska.

The bill aims to clarify a flaw in previously existing texting while driving ban, a flaw identified by a magistrate in a recent case.

The bill added some language to AS 28.35.161, which in part now reads:

The new law does not make voice communications on those same devices illegal, just typing or reading.

It also includes an exemption for police, fire or emergency vehicles "if the user of the equipment or device reasonably believes the information on the device is necessary to respond to a health, safety, or criminal matter."

Check out the full revisions on the Alaska Legislature's BASIS system, here.

Craig Medred

Craig Medred is a former writer for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2015.

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