![text drive testing driving](http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/525aa0abecad04bf45c07621-1200-924/ap68401506020.jpg?maxX=460)
AP/LM Otero
An man works his phone as he drives through traffic in Dallas, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. Texas lawmakers are considering a statewide ban on texting while
Texting and driving is banned in 47 states, and many state legislators are working hard to make sure that if caught, the punishment fits the crime.
But Mother Jones found that $4 when it comes to facing the consequences of breaking a texting and driving
"Texting fines vary wildly across the country," Mother Jones reports, "and y$4"
In California, the maximum penalty for a first-time offender is just $20; the lowest in the country. Texting and driving in Alaska will cost you $10,000 fine and a year in prison.
This research stems from $4 from May which showed that the number of teens who are dying or injured as a result of texting while driving has surpassed the number of teenagers who die from accidents that are caused by drinking and driving.