By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Variety News Staff

SENDING electronic messages via mobile phones or any handheld wireless communication devices while driving would be prohibited if two related bills are enacted into law.
Under Bills 77 and 78, introduced by Sen. Tony Unpingco, R-Santa Rita, “text messaging” while driving would be considered “traffic infraction.” Violators would face misdemeanor charges with a corresponding penalty of $100. 
The popularity of the “text messaging” system is increasingly growing in Guam, but its use “must not become an additional hazard to the safe operation of vehicles,” states Bill 78, which bans “text driving.”
Bill 77 notes that “wireless communications devices have assisted with quick reporting of road emergencies, but their use has also contributed to accidents and other mishaps on Guam’s roadways.”
Under both bills, however, “authorized” vehicle operators responding to emergency situations are exempted from the e-message sending ban.