So many of us do it. For some reason, the temptation is too great not to. A loud tone sounds or you feel your phone vibrate, letting you know that someone has just sent you a message.
You pick up your phone, even though you’re driving on the highway and traffic is heavy, and read it. Every second or two, you glance back up at the road. You might even begin to reply, punching in a word or two and glancing up again to make sure you’re not headed for a bloody ending.
There should be a law against this. Currently, 30 states have passed laws banning texting while driving. Oklahoma ought to make itself the 31st.
A few laws came into effect in Oklahoma on Nov. 1 regarding the use of cell phones and driving.
HB 2276 requires drivers to keep their eyes on the road at all times, and drivers can only be cited for using their phones if they get in a wreck. Sounds a little too late to us.
SB 1908 forbids teenagers with permits or graduated licenses from using any handheld electronic device while driving. It used to be applied to all eligible drivers, but was changed in committee and excludes adults, according to the Oklahoma House of Representatives website.
Why adults were excluded is beyond us. Do you really want your parents to be allowed to text?
Both of these laws aren’t punitive enough to really curb a potentially dangerous situation.
Studies have shown that texting and reading e-mails is as dangerous as, and sometimes worse than, driving while intoxicated.
Car and Driver magazine, in a 2009 study, tested the effects of intoxication and texting on reaction times in driving situations. It found that on average a legally drunk person braking suddenly traveled 4 feet beyond the baseline.
Reading an e-mail or texting while driving sober yielded even worse results. The test subject traveled 36 feet beyond the baseline while reading e-mail and 70 feet while sending a text. In one case, a test subject traveled 319 feet before stopping.
Those who don’t support banning texting while driving say it depends on the situation. For example, if you’re stuck in traffic, and maybe late to an appointment, you could call ahead and let those expecting you know you’re going to be late. But this is too small a pro, far outweighed by the cons.
Last year, use of digital devices while driving caused 1,700 accidents, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. More than half of them involved young adults or teens.
Statistics about deaths specifically related to texting while driving aren’t readily available. In 2002, cell phone usage caused the deaths of about 2,600 Americans, according to a study by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis. That was just in 2002, when texting was about all you could do on your cell phone. Now you can do much more.
Consider how much time you already spend on your phone while you’re not driving, and let the time you spend on the road be a good break from your phone.
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localsooner 1 year, 6 months ago
Texting while driving is bad. We shouldn't do it. No disagreement there.
It's also currently illegal to drive while distracted, so there's no need for a new almost-impossible-to-enforce law.
TheJR 1 year, 6 months ago
If you ban texting while driving, many people will still do it and they'll just attempt to hide it, making it even more dangerous.