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Politics & Government

Missouri bans texting while driving for teens

Brad Cooper - The Kansas City Star

August 28, 2009 07:16 AM

The Missouri law is simple enough. Starting today, you can't send text messages if you are driving and you are 21 or younger.

But just how anyone is going to stop you has police scratching their heads. How will anyone know your age, let alone know for sure whether you are texting or calling?

It's quite a conundrum for authorities who will try to enforce a law that covers only part of the population.

"I think it's going to be difficult to enforce," said Kansas City Police Officer Bill Johnson, who investigates vehicular crimes.

"If it's only illegal to text when you're under 21, what happens if you stop somebody thinking they're under 21 and you come to find out they're some youthful-looking 30-year-old?"

Enforcement will be complicated further because some cities, such as Independence and Kansas City, don't yet have laws that allow police to write municipal tickets for texting.

To read the complete article, visit www.kansascity.com.

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