States getting the message on texting laws

Will 2011 be remembered as the year drivers got serious about putting down their phones? If the flurry of activity on distracted driving during the year’s final months is any indication, the answer is yes.

In March, Pennsylvania will become the 35th state (plus D.C.) to ban texting while driving — and the movement is little more than five years old. The swift passage of those regulations encourages advocates and has some thinking Congress can stay on the sidelines. Texting bans are generally low-hanging fruit for legislators and the public. An October AAA survey found 95 percent of respondents consider texting or emailing while driving a serious threat to personal safety and 87 percent of those polled support laws against text messaging.