ROANOKE COUNTY, Va – The upcoming new year will also bring stricter penalties for texting and driving in the Commonwealth.
While a new law banning texting and driving were passed earlier this year, officers have been focusing on education regarding distracted driving instead.
Officers with Roanoke County say other states have passed similar laws with a grace period to allow drivers to get used to the change.
“We are giving a six month period that way that the public can kind of educate themselves, and get used to the law and take effect and that’s why law enforcement has not taken any type of enforcement action towards the new legislation,” Roanoke County Police Officer Thurman Butts said.
If a driver violates the new law, they could face fines up to $250.