New York legislature passed a watered down bill on texting. Basically one can’t be stopped and ticketed for it unless there is another reason for a stop, such as speeding, reckless lane change, etc. Look at the story/video in the New York Times which discusses the law in England, where texting drivers can be jailed in extreme circumstances, such as causing death of others on the road. Texting by car and truck drivers causes thousands of wrecks and needless deaths annually.

Texting and driving more dangerous than drunken driving
A leading road safety group, the Governors Highway Safety Association, supports banning drivers from sending and receiving text messages. Texting creates a greater risk of crashing than even drunken driving.