All Missouri drivers would be forbidden to send or read text messages on their cell phones, under a bill discussed Wednesday morning in the Senate's Transportation Committee.
"We are looking for proven ways to make sure that our drivers pay attention to the road," said Sen. Robin Wright Jones, D-St. Louis. "When I was getting my driver's license, the mantra was, "Keep your eyes on the road.'
"But you don't hear that anymore; a lot of things are distracting us."
Committee members took no vote, but generally supported the idea.
Sen. Ryan McKenna, D-Crystal City, has sponsored the bill in past years, including handling the 2009 House bill that, ultimately, contained Missouri's current law prohibiting drivers 21 and younger from texting.