Texting and driving has become one of the hottest topics when it comes to automobile laws. All across the nation, and I would guess across the world, there are accidents caused every day by a driver who was distracted by their phone and has been at fault in a crash. Because of these actions, there are thousands of people across our nation, and assumingly around the globe that are pushing to ban texting while driving. Currently, 19 states already prohibit texting while driving. Meanwhile, 23 more states currently have bills working their way through congress. This is truly a great idea, but is it realistic?
Personally I am a supporter of the texting ban, but I question the ability to enforce such a law. For example, there are states the prohibit automobile drivers between the ages of 16-18 from talking on their phones while driving, unless you are on the phone with their parents, or in an emergency situation. My question is how can a police driver tell if you’re on the phone with your parent(s) or just a friend? Similarly, banning texting seems like a great idea, but again, how would an officer know if I am sending a text message, or typing in an address in my GPS application on my iPhone? Although it is nearly impossible to police, the idea of passing this bill would be enough to deter drivers from texting, hoping that the threat of a penalty will be enough of a reason to limit texting while driving.
Along the same lines, it’s not just texting while driving that is causing the issues, its everything else we surround ourselves with in our vehicles that distract us. It’s the cup of coffee we can’t leave home without. It’s the burger and fries we just picked up from the drive through, and the newspaper that’s covering your steering wheel while driving 75mph down the interstate. The new texting ban is a start, but we need to some how police ourselves more than we need police to do it for us. Technology is completely absorbed into our lifestyles, but there are times when we need to set it down. Protect your life, and the lives of others, stop texting, and drive!
Original Site:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-01-24-texting_N.htm
Supporting Sites:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/01/29/cellphone.study/index.html
http://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cell/statistics.html
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