Soon texting while driving won’t be an offense for just drivers on Marine Corps Base Quantico, but all Virginia drivers. A new state law, which goes into effect July 1, will make texting while driving a primary offense, which means police officers can ticket drivers without any other traffic violation. In addition, the Commonwealth will also increase fines from $20 to $125 for the first offense and from $50 to $250 for the second.

The legislation’s aim is to curb the growing number of accidents that are caused by distracted drivers. It’s a sigh of relief for Michael Harris, officer with the Provost Marshal Office’s Accident Investigations Unit at Quantico.

“I’m glad that Virginia is coming on board with what the Department of Defense has seen for years,” Harris said. “We’ve always taken an anti-electronic devices and distraction [position] on Quantico.”

On base, drivers are restricted from using handheld devices entirely, which may seem like a stringent rule for their 45 mph maximum speed limit. However, Harris said turning away to type a few words or hitting the send button on a phone, even at low speeds, can be dangerous.

“We’ve run into instances where a pedestrian has been struck in the past,” Harris said.

Therefore, the base commander’s ultimate message is to promote safety and reduce distracted driving, Harris added.

Even though most accidents on base are “fender benders,” according to the Safety Division, Harris said most mishaps happen during rush hour — the most congested period and most tempting for cell phone use.

“We know when traffic is moving slow, [drivers] want to pick up their phone and coordinate plans with their family, but what they don’t realize is they’re making the road that much more dangerous,” Harris said.

But the Provost Marshal Office is cracking down on violators. Officers sporadically perform distracted driving “stings” throughout the base.

Anyone caught will be required by federal magistrate to attend court, where they face fines, repercussions from their command (if military), and risk of having their base driving privileges suspended.

“The penalty for the first offense is three points and the second is a seven-day suspension [of base driving privileges],” Eric Rodriguez, base magistrate said.

Drivers who exceed the maximum of 12 points within a fiscal year, will have their driving rights revoked. It’s a stiff measure for those who work or live on base but the regulation has no teeth off-base, including the Town of Quantico, but not for long.

“The new law gives us a bigger advantage, where we’re not writing a ticket under something obscure, increasing the chances of the charge getting thrown out,” Harris said. “We’re assimilating with Virginia law.”

The hope is that people will take the base rules a little more seriously, Rodriguez said.

Last year, PMO issued 134 of citations for cell phone violations, sending a clear, zero-tolerance message to inattentive drivers — one that will soon be reflected statewide.

Staff Writer: afelton@quanticosentryonline.com