Legislation that would make texting while driving illegal at any age failed to pass in the Missouri Senate this month, despite support from law enforcement agencies.

Columbia Police Department spokeswoman Latisha Stroer said distracted driving is a dangerous practice at any age.

“Anytime your eyes leave the roadway while driving, there’s potential for something bad to happen,” Stroer said. “We want motorists to be completely focused on the road – not on (their) cell phone, text messaging or anything else. Things happen fast, so even being distracted for a few seconds is dangerous.”

In 2009, the Missouri Senate passed Senate Bill 701, banning texting while driving for motorists 21 years old or younger. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol news release, Missouri is one of 38 states to enact some form of anti-texting legislation. Since then, several bills have been introduced in the House that would make texting while driving illegal at any age.

Stroer said getting rid of the age limit would make it easier for officers to spot violations at first glance.

“At night, it can be impossible to see inside a car,” Stroer said. “Sometimes you can’t tell if it’s a male or a female, let alone how old they are. It would be extremely difficult to pull someone over based solely on age.”

The Highway Patrol began its own campaign against texting while driving in July 2010. Highway Patrol Capt. Tim Hull said the campaign was designed to raise public awareness about the dangers of distracted driving.

“Anything you do that takes your attention away from the full-time task of driving is dangerous,” Hull said. “Whether that is texting, talking on the phone, changing the radio station or changing a song on your iPod, it takes your eyes off the road. Texting is the latest thing that’s creating issues and becoming a major distraction.”

During the Senate debate of the bill, the issue of enforcement was discussed. Hull said the current law raises a few problems for officers.

“The general use of a cell phone is not prohibited at any age in Missouri, so you have to be able to differentiate between someone just using their phone and someone who’s texting,” Hull said. “Then of course, you have to decide if the person looks 21 or younger.”

House Bill 600, passed in late April by a 103-44 vote, moved to the Senate for approval with one week left in the legislative session. The Senate bill, sponsored by State Sen. Ryan McKenna, D-Jefferson County, failed to pass before the May 13 deadline.

According to a Highway Patrol news release, cell phone usage contributed to more than 1,780 traffic accidents in Missouri in 2009. Hull said cell phone-related crashes were the cause of 20 deaths and 779 injuries in Missouri in 2010.

“Inattention is a leading cause of traffic crashes,” Highway Patrol Col. Ron Replogle said in the release. “If you’re focused on sending a text message, then you aren’t paying attention to your driving. Cell phone usage, particularly texting while driving, can lead to tragic consequences.”