The second part prohibits drivers from reading emails and texts while driving, with the exception of using Caller ID. The first part prohibits drivers in Virginia from texting, defined as manually entering multiple letters or numbers as a means of communicating with another person. The statute – Virginia Code §46.2-1078.1 – has two parts. Virginia first enacted legislation to discourage texting while driving in 2009. History of Virginia’s Legislative Efforts to Combat Distracted Driving This year is no exception, and as of July 1, 2018, any driver who is convicted of texting while driving in a highway work zone will be punished by a mandatory $250 fine (Va. Since first enacting legislation in 2009, Virginia has steadily tightened restrictions and increased statutory penalties to discourage drivers who engage in distracted driving. Virginia is using legislative efforts to combat this national crisis. Tragically, the number of people killed as a result of distracted driving increased from 157 to 208. Again, more than half of these crashes resulted in injuries (56 percent). Fifty seven percent of the crashes resulted in injuries, and 157 people were killed in Virginia crashes. In 2017, distracted driving caused 26,123 traffic crashes. DMV reports that 26,786 traffic crashes in Virginia 2016 were caused by distracted driving. Statistics from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles Highway Safety Office (DMV) are startling. The United States Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 3,450 people in the United States were killed as a result of distracted driving in 2016. Distracted driving is dangerous and is a leading cause of traffic-related crashes, injuries and fatalities.