Texting While Driving

[C.Ann]

Just another way of injuring, disabling a person for life, or killing innocent victims.. Aren't cell phones and drunk drivers enough??

 

[JessicaR]

It is already illegal to text while driving in every state as it would violate any number of already existing laws such as reckless endangerment. A cop already has the discretion to pull over any driver s/he believes is driving dangerously and cite them accordingly. If you cause an accident due to texting you will be at fault and can again be cited under any number of ordinances/laws that already cover reckless/distracted driving even if texting per se is not illegal.

No, it is not illegal in every state. It needs to be!
14 states and the District of Columbia now ban text messaging for all drivers.

http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Is it considered illegal though? Could a person actually get a ticket if they were caught texting while driving or could they dispute it and win? I am asking because I have a co-worker who texts while driving all the time & I would love to get her to stop.

It is not even illegal to talk on your cell phone & drive in my state and I wish it was-it's just as bad as driving drunk!

Yes they could. If they are driving impaired in any way and the policeman pulls them over they can get a ticket. No, texting specifically is not illegal, but as far as I know every state has laws against reckless or impaired driving and it would absolutely fall under that.

No, it is not illegal in every state. It needs to be!
14 states and the District of Columbia now ban text messaging for all drivers.

http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html

See above. Most behaviors the occur while driving are not specifically illegal, but if you are driving in an impaired or reckless manner you can (and should) be cited.

 

[*BTMRR*]

I used to know a guy who had rigged up an auto DVD player just to the right of the steering wheel so that he could watch as he drove on long road trips. He didn't see anything bad about this at all

There's finally a huge stigma attached to drunk driving--some people still do it, but no one can claim ignorance anymore! EVERYONE knows it's wrong.
It should be the same way with texting (and other forms of distracted driving). I think people just don't realize that it can and does cost lives. Hopefully the word will get out there. People are just so self-absorbed.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

There was a law against this passed in Virginia. Hope anyone that does it in the state now gets a hefty fine!

Starting July 1st it's actually only a secondary offense so you can't just be pulled over and given the $25 ticket for being caught texting. You have to be pulled over for something like swerving, etc.

I drive about 60 miles round trip to and from work every day. I agree texting is dangerous, as well as the few times I've been run off the road to moms trying to deal with kids in the car and not paying attention, people applying make-up and not paying attention, couples/families chatting and not paying attention, people on phone calls and not paying attention, people eating/drinking and not paying attention. There should be a law against not paying attention when driving

 

[Alyssa88]

I can text without looking, and although I hardly do it while driving there have been a few instances. My eyes are always on the road though

I experience the same phenomenon with red lights as the previous poster, they are never red when you want them to be, lol.

Philly was supposed to have a ban against texting (soon, if it hasn't started). I see cops texting while driving (might explain why they constantly violate traffic rules or why the one rear ended me at a red light, not paying attention). I drive over 100 miles for work each day and personally feel that children and food are bigger problems. I was rear ended (again at a red light- has happened to me 3 times) by a lady who was trying to deal with her bratty kids. I see people swerve a lot when trying to eat. People do crazy things while driving.

 

[LoraJ]

I can text without looking, and although I hardly do it while driving there have been a few instances. My eyes are always on the road though

I experience the same phenomenon with red lights as the previous poster, they are never red when you want them to be, lol.

Philly was supposed to have a ban against texting (soon, if it hasn't started). I see cops texting while driving (might explain why they constantly violate traffic rules or why the one rear ended me at a red light, not paying attention). I drive over 100 miles for work each day and personally feel that children and food are bigger problems. I was rear ended (again at a red light- has happened to me 3 times) by a lady who was trying to deal with her bratty kids. I see people swerve a lot when trying to eat. People do crazy things while driving.

There is no need for you to text while driving. Just keep the phone down until the next light.

 

[LoraJ]

 

[Buckalew11]

It is against the law here.

 

[Buckalew11]

Oh and I think if someone ran into me while driving and texting, I'd get out of my car and beat the crap of them for it. I can't imagine why anyone thinks they can or should text and drive.

 

[Feralpeg]

What is so important that people cannot wait until they are done driving to communicate? I lived most of my life without a cell phone. I managed to survive quite nicely. We have become a society requiring immediate access and satisfaction on everything. It is just crazy.

 

[SelfEmployedDebtFree]

I think if someone ran into me while driving and texting, I'd get out of my car and beat the crap of them for it. I can't imagine why anyone thinks they can or should text and drive.

I agree completely.

 

[bellebuzzntink]

My 61 year old mother and her 65 year old sister discovered texting last year. They were both coming to visit our house for Thanksgiving, with Mom getting here before my Aunt. She wasn't sure what time my Aunt was going to get to our house, so she texted her. The other 5 of us in the room, simultaneously were yelling "NO! NO! It's not that important!" The scary thing is that my Aunt ANSWERED her text!!!!! And then proceeded to send 2 more texts when she got lost. I kept trying to get my mother's phone away from her in order to CALL my aunt at the very least instead of texting each other.

They each got a lecture at the Thanksgiving table about it.

 

[JEmaryland]

As a motorcyclist, driving while texting scares the crap out of me. It only takes a few seconds of someone not paying attention for me to be killed.

I admit that when I had a phone with buttons, I would text and drive, without having to look at the phone. Now that I have an LCD phone, with a qwerty keyboard, I can't even imagine being able to do that.