»Article posted on: January 28, 2010 by: Joan Michaels
Constant “texting” defies safety and common courtesy
On Tuesday the U.S. government banned “texting” on handheld devices by drivers of large commercial trucks and buses. This extends the list of existing bans on texting — drivers of government vehicles are already banned from texting; many states ban it for drivers of all motor vehicles; and many employers ban it for employees who drive while on the job.
Not that a law has ever stopped drivers from doing anything illegal — such as drinking and driving. Yet texting has become a particularly odious compulsion. Having recently witnessed 20-something nieces and nephews who couldn’t get through a family holiday dinner without checking their cell phones and texting at the dinner table, I can tell you that their compulsion to text defies common courtesy and, I’m sure, safety when they take their habits on the road.
Even state laws that ban texting while driving often view it as a secondary offense — meaning you’ll be cited for it only if you’re pulled over for something else, like speeding. Personally, I’d like to see all these bans stipulate that a driver can be pulled over for the sole reason of texting.
Hey, I don’t want police officers to spend their valuable time on frivolous citations, but if drivers started getting significant tickets for texting — along with increased car insurance rates — maybe we could make some inroads on this nasty habit.
filed under CAR INSURANCE | tags: auto insurance, CAR INSURANCE
Zhana said:
Jan 28, 10 at 3:08 pmI think these laws are a big waste of time. They are hard for police to enforce. I agree that people shouldn’t text while driving, but I don’t think we need a law for it. It opens up a flood of other guestions. Eating while driving is dangerous too. We don’t have a law for that. Putting on lipstick while driving is dangerous. We don’t have a law for that either. I’ve seen men shave while driving too. Last time I checked, there was no law against it. My point is this: It’s next to impossible to outlaw all the little things people do while driving. I don’t see the reason to single out texting. We shouldn’t do any of these things while driving. But again, I think that our government should spend its time on more serious issues instead of worrying about creating a new law that bans people from applying lipstick while driving. It’s silly.
Cam said:
Feb 01, 10 at 6:33 pmZhana - I think its been proven though that texting has been the root of many, many accidents in the past few years as the habit has become more popular. (As opposed to eating, putting on makeup, etc.) I don’t think its a completely senseless law, although I see your point with it raising other questions.
Alex said:
Feb 01, 10 at 6:36 pmMaybe you don’t realize it but texting is something that should be singled out. More people text while driving then put on makeup. Especially with the addition of Crackberries and IPhones and Droids, some people never get off their phone. I mean, I get more people running into me on the streets because they’re stuck on their phones than anything else. Texting is a huge fad taking over a variety of age groups. It appeals to the masses. Therefore it makes sense that they’re doing something like this.
Erin said:
Feb 02, 10 at 12:12 pmI see people texting and driving all the time. It’s easy to sense when someone isn’t paying attention to their driving (swerving, speed changes, etc.) I don’t think it will be very hard for police to enforce at all. It’s something they could be on the look out for simply driving down the street.