Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: Law, Ban, Texting, SMS, Driving | Themes: 3GSM, Business, Smartphones
Law makers would like all of the U.S. to ban texting while driving.
After numerous reports showing that cell phone usage while driving is dangerous, democratic senators have proposed legislation that would ban text messaging while operating a vehicle.
"The federal government ought to pass a law banning this dangerous and growing practice to protect the millions of Americans on our nation's roads. It is a matter of public safety," said Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, who introduced the bill along with Democrats Robert Menendez of New Jersey, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Kay Hagan of North Carolina, according to the AP.
14 states have already outlawed text messaging while driving, but the proposed legislation would pressure the remaining states to follow suit or else lose 25 percent of its highway money.
“Studies show this is far more dangerous than talking on a phone while driving or driving while drunk, which is astounding,” Schumer added in a New York Times story.
Earlier this week, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) released a report saying that truck drivers who text messaged while driving were 23 times more likely to be in an accident situation than those who were focused on the road.
-
Previous News Article
THQ: Project Natal Late Next Year -
Next News Article
Demand for Nintendo Wii is...
People might as well be drunk and smoking pot while driving, because that's about the same level of attention you are devoting to driving while you Text on your stupid cell phone while driving.
Invalidate their insurance too, if they cause an accident and they're texting.
I didn't even read the article - I just saw the heading and felt the need to comment on it! FINALLY! Netherscourge pretty much summed it all up. I drive a manual, so texting while actually driving isn't an option (it's possible, but...) I am always scared when there's some idiot behind me and I know he/she is texting - and geez they are the ones always riding my ass so if I needed to stop quickly, there is no way they would react fast enough. Driving needs your attention and focus, anyone who argues otherwise either is a bad driver, or is yet to learn a hard lesson... Cheers!
Let's just legislate every aspect of people's lives. There are already laws that people can be charged under if they drive while being willfully distracted. Instead of wasting time on legislation like this, time should be allotted to more important issues.
I think they should forget about making the ban and let natural selection take its course, because you have to have some kind of mental stigma if you think texting is a better idea than making an actual call when you're driving in a massive metal box at 40mph.
Let's just legislate every aspect of people's lives. There are already laws that people can be charged under if they drive while being willfully distracted. Instead of wasting time on legislation like this, time should be allotted to more important issues.
I don't know where you live, but in Ontario (Canada), driving is considered a privilege, not a right, so I accept the fact that laws will exist to regulate that privilege. I would much rather have to abide to 100 laws while driving, and expect all drivers to do the same, rather than be killed (or kill) someone because my government gave in to small minded thinkers such as yourself. Nothing personal.
Careful, I do not know about everyone else but where I am at they no only want to ban texting they are considering a ban on talking on a cell phone hands free as well. How is a cop supposed to tell if someone is talking on a phone vs. sing to the radio or talking to a passenger? Just be cautious on how far they take this is all am saying, but as for the texting: I am all for that ban.
You think a person texting while driving is bad. I saw a woman serving all over the place once, thought see was drunk, turns out she had a actual book opened up across the steering wheel. She was reading a book while driving!! The sad thing is this was not some teen she had to be about mid to late 40's.
How would they police this in states where phone use while driving is legal? "No officer, I wasn't texting, I was dialing a number"
I think they should forget about making the ban and let natural selection take its course, because you have to have some kind of mental stigma if you think texting is a better idea than making an actual call when you're driving in a massive metal box at 40mph.
no, because i don't want my life taken along with some txting dumbass, ban txting asap please
I'm still waiting for the No-Blow-Job-While-Driving proposal.
And I'll gladly volunteer for that study!
I'm all for making texting while driving illegal (it already is where I live,) but this should be handled solely by the states. Bullying states into making laws by withholding funding is just wrong (albeit not uncommon.) Once again this half-baked idea has a New York politician as its spokesman.
About time.
Officer I was not Texting... See, here... I was writing an Email, Updating Facebook, Blogging, Checking Voice Mail, and Accessing Google Maps... not Texting you see.
I don't know where you live, but in Ontario (Canada), driving is considered a privilege, not a right, so I accept the fact that laws will exist to regulate that privilege. I would much rather have to abide to 100 laws while driving, and expect all drivers to do the same, rather than be killed (or kill) someone because my government gave in to small minded thinkers such as yourself. Nothing personal.
Where I grew up, Detroit (Michigan) driving was a skill, not a right or a privilege... Why is it that you don't need a license to purchase a car? I knew SEVERAL people who drove with out the proper identification, insurance, or license... and guess what, it was because that was taken from them. You make something illegal, all you will do is make people drive illegally, it won't stop anyone from doing it.
lol whats with this driving is a privilege stuff? I'm pretty sure it's a right, at least in America it should be. I'm not gonna thank my government for "allowing" me to drive a car. lol
I'm all for making texting while driving illegal (it already is where I live,) but this should be handled solely by the states. Bullying states into making laws by withholding funding is just wrong (albeit not uncommon.) Once again this half-baked idea has a New York politician as its spokesman.
Whereas I really don't see the need for different states to decide whether or not they're going to ban this for themselves at different rates, while people keep dying and killing other drivers in the interim. That'd be like letting states decide whether or not to ban drunk driving (in fact, this is even more dangerous than DUI). By this point, if a state's legislature hasn't gotten on board to make texting while driving illegal then they're not doing their damn jobs and there's obviously a need for federal measures.
I think they should forget about making the ban and let natural selection take its course, because you have to have some kind of mental stigma if you think texting is a better idea than making an actual call when you're driving in a massive metal box at 40mph.
Yeah, let natural selection take its course, but what if you're the one hit by the moron that was using the phone.
Even calling on a phone while driving is a very bad idea, I don't know why you'd think otherwise.
I never text and drive, that is Just plan asking for trouble. My brother drove in a ditch Just reaching down to change the radio station. Though i have texted while biking on very long lonely stretches of residential roads, but i usually stop, I wonder if that will apply as well.
Wow and i thought the whole world already banned it..
In the Netherlands its illigal even holding a phone in your hands while driving....
I probably hate texting more than anyone else here. But I would have to agree with withnydems, this should be a state law, not a federal law. You can argue all you want about what is right and wrong but what you should really be asking is what is constitutional and not. This is still a federalist system of government and in my humble opinion this seems like an law that states should create and enforce.
I'm montezuma on this
There are already laws that people can be charged under if they drive while being willfully distracted.
in the UK it is called "driving with undue care and attention". This legislation was unnecessary - just enforce the existing laws
i think any practice in the car that takes away from a persons ability to drive should be worth a minimum of a 1000 fine...period...
from eating, to putting on make up, to texting or cell phone use.... even though im a smoker id even consider smoking due to the fact that lighting a cigarette takes your eyes off the road and a flying ash can cause cotastrophe... you may think 1000 is steep...but what is the cost of protecting your loved ones worth? and trust me, get the fine once and youll never do that shit again.
I'm still waiting for the No-Blow-Job-While-Driving proposal.And I'll gladly volunteer for that study!
It's pretty distracting, but the proper name would be No-Roadhead.
They shouldnt do a texting law.
They need to do a NO operation of a handheld device while driving law.
Ill allow exclusion of voice activation, only IF the device also communicates with you via voice. IE no looking at a handheld device while driving law as well.
It should go without saying that you dont read books, text, operate computers, or anything else that will take your eyes away from the road while driving. People who just dont get it should have their licences stripped. Driving is a privilege not a right.
This is no business of the FED one way or another!
If the Peoples Republic of California or the New York Socalist Union want to outlaw texting while driving fine. If the Commonwealth of Virginia wants to say you can text all you want while driving, without your seat belt, good for them too.
I've been almost killed a few times on my scooter by people looking at their cell phones. I'm sure they were texting. Pretty scary, but also funny when you see them rub their tires on the median and then throw their phone to regain control.
Being that I am a law enforcement officer in a state that recently created TWD laws I'm just going to add that I was arresting people for long before these state and local laws were created. What was the charge I nailed people on you ask.
Reckless Endangerment
No citation, straight to jail, and I will charge you with one count for every vehicle within 100 yards of yours and or every person in the vehicle when I spot you and it will stick.
One time I arrested a mother who had two small children in car seats in her vehicle. I went lights only, no siren because she and I were the only traffic on the road, followed her for almost 3 miles before she noticed me when I finally blipped the siren at her. Worst part about this story, 4 months earlier I had worked a fatality involving a teenager who had crashed while texting, hit a concrete highway divider head on estimated at about 70 mph. Never guess who's relative she was...
isn't the U.S. government great. always helping out the dumb citizens. i mean first it was battling the fast food joints and banning super size food and now they have to make another law which should not be a law at all because its common sense.
People who do ANYTHING with a cell phone while driving should be punished the same as drunk drivers.
-Jail
-Lose license
-Fine
-Impound vehicle
-Probation
In fact, people who use cell phones in movie theaters should get beaten to a pulp too.
In fact, people who use cell phones in movie theaters should get beaten to a pulp too.
Cellphones give you cancer too!
I have a friend that texts while driving. She thinks that she has some "I can multi-task" gift above others. She's stupid. And sadly, even though I strongly believe in minimal government intervention yes there are stupid people that this law might keep them from texting and driving. Sad indeed.