A Republican state legislator introduced a bill last week that would make it illegal for cell phone users to send text messages while driving.

Sen. Alan Lasee, R-DePere, said the rapid rise in text messaging in recent years is a growing danger on the nation's roads and highways, prompting him to draft the legislation.

Currently, Wisconsin's inattentive driving law prohibits a driver from being "so engaged or occupied as to interfere with the safe driving of such vehicle." Another provision also forbids televisions visible to

anyone in a front seat.

But Lasee's law would specifically forbid text messaging, with much harsher penalties than the current law's $20 to $40 fine for first-time offenders.

Under Lasee's bill, a first-time offender could face up to $400 if caught text messaging while driving. If an injury resulted, offenders could be fined up to $2,000 and would spend at least 30 days in jail.

"The message is this is a practice that you don't do while you're driving, period," Lasee said.

According to a recent survey by the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association, an international organization of wireless communications industry members, text messaging has been increasing with the growing use of cell phones. In 2006, 158 billion text messages were sent, almost twice the number sent in 2005.

And according to Lasee, a survey of 16- and 17-year-olds conducted by American Automobile Association and Seventeen magazine found that 28 percent of young drivers send text messages while driving.

Lasee said he was inspired to write the bill by recent accidents involving text messaging, including the deaths of five New York girls who were killed in a car accident after the driver had been sending text messages on the road.

Lasee added the rising popularity of text messaging particularly among young people means it's just a matter of time before a tragedy occurs.

"Kids in schools — they all have cells, they all use text messaging, they're growing up with it," Lasee said. "To them it's an activity that would be commonplace, to hop in the car and start driving and sending messages."

Bonnie Sesolak, development director for drivers' rights organization the National Motorists Association, said it is excessive to ban individual behaviors that may lead to inattentive driving.

"There's certainly a lot of other distractions out there as well," Sesolak said. "You can't have laws for every specific thing. If we have a law against text messaging, why not outlaw drinking coffee while driving?"

Text messaging needs its own law, Lasee said, because it is an activity that requires drivers to take their eyes off the road in order to read messages and punch keys.

Steve Siglinsky, a recent University of Wisconsin graduate, said he agrees with Lasee's observations, having seen it a number of times himself.

"I know a handful of people who can text without looking at their phone, but not many, and even if they can, it still takes attention off of the road," Siglinsky said.

Even though Siglinsky occasionally sends text messages while driving, he said he tries to minimize the danger.

"I specifically choose not to text when I can call someone," Siglinsky said. "But sometimes texting gets quicker results with certain people."