Pennington County Bans Texting While Driving

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — The Pennington County Commission has voted to ban texting while driving in the western South Dakota county.

The county joins several other South Dakota communities that have passed bans. The South Dakota Legislature has so far refused to ban texting while driving.

The Rapid City Journal reports that anyone caught texting while driving could be fined $200. The ban will be enforceable only on county roads.

Commissioner Ron Buskerud says the local ban will send a message encouraging the state Legislature to pass a statewide ban.

But local law enforcement officials say they wonder how and where the law will be enforced because it will not apply on some roads in the county.

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