Driving While Texting May Soon Be Banned

Anthony Fontanelle
May 9, 2007

The safety of the millions of motorists all over the world has always been the concern of numerous government agencies. In the past, drunk driving is seen as one of the leading causes of traffic accidents in the United States and in countries across the globe.

To reduce the cases of drunk drivers operating their vehicles, car manufacturers have developed devices which prohibit a driver from starting his or her car if the person is under the influence of alcohol. Aside from these devices, the various communities around the globe have also been educated on the risks of drunk driving.

These efforts have resulted in reducing the number of traffic accidents caused by drunk driving. Recently though, a new threat to traffic safety has shown itself with the advent of personal communication technology.

It is a common knowledge that mobile phones are important tools for this age. But using these phones during driving has resulted to traffic accidents which have claimed numerous lives. In response to the increasing number of accidents caused by inattentive driving, legislators have passed laws banning drivers from speaking on their mobile phones while driving. That is why car manufacturers have increasingly offered hands-free features for new vehicles.

But a bigger threat than speaking on mobile phones has attracted the attention of lawmakers. Washington State Representative Joyce McDonald is now pushing a bill to prohibit sending text messages, or texting, while driving on the said state. The lawmaker stated her reaction to the popularity of texting among teenagers. “I was really a bit shocked to learn just how much these kids text each other, including when they are driving,” says McDonald. “I mean, I'm a talker. I can't understand why in the world you would send your friend a text message rather than just calling up to say hello.”

This has led the lawmaker to create a law which will prohibit texting while driving in the state of Washington. The bill is currently gaining support after an accident in Mercer Island, Washington was publicized widely. The said incident involves a man who caused a five-car pileup at the said area after he was reportedly distracted by a text message on his mobile phone. The bill is now on its final passage and is expected to be passed into a law which will make Washington as the first state to have a law which prohibits reading or sending text messages on mobile phones.

While the state may become the first with the said legislation, three other states are also working on the same law. These three states are New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. These three states have already laws prohibiting drivers from talking on the phone while driving.

These steps on the part of the country’s lawmakers are necessary to protect the road bound citizens of the United States. Talking on the phone is already a dangerous thing to do even if the driver’s sight never leaves the road. While texting, the risk is doubled since motorists will have to look down at their phones to see what they are typing. In cases like this, even highly efficient EBC pads cannot protect the driver from accidents. While a law may not stop drivers from texting while driving, the fines that accompany these laws may have these drivers thinking twice before texting while driving.

Source:  Amazines.com