Photo by Staff photo illustration by Sam Yu As of today, a ban on text messaging while driving goes into effect in Maryland. The new law prohibits using a text messaging device to write or send a text message while operating a motor vehicle in motion or in the travel portion of the road.

Effective today, the law prohibits a person from using a text messaging device to write or send a text message while operating a motor vehicle in motion or in the travel portion of the road.

The bill, which was named for the late Delegate John Arnick, who initially introduced legislation to ban texting while driving, was passed during this year's legislative session in Annapolis.

Texting while driving is a primary offense, punishable by a $500 fine.

"Safe driving can reduce the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities on our roads," said State Highway Administrator Neil Pedersen. "Every one of us has a responsibility to drive safely, and taking your eyes off the road to text is a recipe for disaster."

David Nevins, co-chairman of the Maryland Highway Safety Foundation, joked that he's been working toward this goal for 80 years.

The foundation is just over a year old and has been laboring over the texting ban in that time.

Nevins said the bill passed, though in a slightly weaker form than it was introduced.

"The gist of it is that you are not allowed to text while you're driving," he said, "but you're still allowed to read texts while driving. Needless to say, we don't think reading while one drives is a great idea."

He said that the foundation is happy that texting is no longer allowed, but just like reading a book behind the steering wheel, reading a text message is not something most people can do safely at 60 mph.

According to SHA, in a Zogby International poll 66 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds said they have texted while driving. In Maryland, nearly 20,000 people are injured annually in crashes related to inattentive driving.

Amy Cloc, a customer at Caf? Nola Wednesday afternoon, said she doesn't text while driving anymore, because of the difficulty with a touch-screen phone. But when she did send messages from behind the wheel, it was usually nothing important. "Just a text saying 'I'll be there in a minute,'" she said.

Cloc said she knew the keyboard so well that she didn't have to look at her phone to type. She just had to spot check.

"I'm all for people not crashing cars, but I don't know how they will enforce (the law)," she said.

Opponents of the ban argue that a driver may get an emergency text en route. Nevins and the foundation said drivers in that situation should pull off to the side of the road to read it.

"The bottom line is that the technology of a cell phone doesn't mix with driving at 60 mph," Nevins said. "Young people grow up with cell phones attached to them as an appendage, practically," he said. "That's fine, but we all need to learn that it's not fine while you're driving."

Both the Frederick Police Department and the Frederick County Sheriff's Office said they will begin staff training on how to handle the new law.

Jennifer Bailey, sheriff's office spokeswoman, said the law will be enforced as deputies enforce any law: They will observe.

AAA announced recently that the organization will work to pass laws banning text messaging by drivers in all 50 states by 2013.

Nevins said the foundation is in the early stages of convincing people that technology is a wonderful thing, but you can't read and write in a car while you drive.

"The reason that distracted driving is getting so much attention now is because it's causing untold numbers of deaths and injuries, and people are waking up," Nevins said. "If this were 25 years ago, you wouldn't be surprised to see a beer in the hand of a driver."

He called this "the next frontier" in the battle against bad driving.

Lt. Kevin Grubb, of the Frederick police, said most people can't apply the law to themselves until they see the consequences. He cited a viral British video about the dangers of texting while driving.

"Until you almost cause a catastrophe, it won't have the same effect," he said.

Nevins said the new law is a cultural change and an educational effort. The legislation is the beginning of that effort.

The SHA said in a press release that research indicates texting while driving can have similar effects on reaction time to driving impaired with a blood alcohol content of 0.16 percent.

Exceptions to the law include use for a global positioning system or text messaging to contact a 911 system.