Pending Gov. Jay Nixon’s approval, if you can’t buy alcohol, you can’t text message while driving in Missouri.

A bill banning text messaging while driving for people 21 and younger — with a $200 fine — was approved last week by both the Missouri Senate and House. Its last step is to get signed by Gov. Nixon.

Some of those people in the bill’s age range question its motives.

“It doesn’t really make sense. How is anyone going to see that I’m texting? What if I’m just looking at my phone?” Scott Raymond, a 19-year-old from Savannah, Mo., said.

Others wonder if there’s other driver distractions the bill is leaving out.

“My friends mess around a lot more in the car with their iPods and (GPS devices), I doubt they’ll outlaw those,” Travis Webb, 18, of St. Joseph, said.

Above all, some wonder why it’s aimed at those 21 and younger.

“My grandma could be reading a text while driving and that’s fine. But I can’t? I don’t get it,” Mr. Raymond said.

The law was part of a larger crime bill that went through legislation, covering everything from sex offender limitations to cattle rustler prison sentences to beer bong restrictions.

Rep. Jim Guest, R-King City, said while he voted yes for the entire bill, he thought the text messaging law was silly.

“It’s not the best piece of legislation,” he said. “What’s the difference between text messaging and eating?”

Mr. Guest said the pending law is useless as officers have more important things to do.

“To me, I don’t think it can be enforced. I don’t think it’s something the police have time to enforce,” he said. “It may be a feel-good thing to some people.”

Still, it’s undeniable that cell phone use is a problem.

A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety stated crash risk is four times higher when driver is using a hand-held cell phone. Last week, an allegedly drunken and texting driver crashed into two St. Joseph Police Department vehicles.

According to News-Press files, Capt. Kevin Castle said it’s a definite danger to the driver.

“With a cell phone, you have the option of having your eyes on the road,” said Mr. Castle, who was not giving an endorsement to cell phone use while driving, “but with texting it’s not an option. You’re using at least one hand and your eyes aren’t on the road.”

Mr. Webb said young people know text messaging while driving is dangerous and a distraction, but enforcing a law to stop them won’t do the trick.

“If I’m driving stupid, then I’ll get pulled over for doing that,” he said. “Kids they’re trying to catch doing this are too sly; it will never work.”

Andrew Gaug can be reached at andrewgaug@npgco.com.