On a recent trip along Interstate 77 from Georgia to Ohio, I was struck by just how many drivers were in not paying attention to what they were doing behind the wheel. Over the course of the 10-hour drive, one of the most prevalent activities I found that took drivers’ attention off the road was texting. In spite of recent state crackdowns on texting while driving, it seemed that there were more than enough people on the road willing to scoff at the texting while driving ban to make sure they LOL’d their BFF’s picture of a dog in a poodle skirt from YouTube.
In Georgia, two separate bills have been introduced to the legislature that would criminalize sending, receiving or reading a text message while operating a motor vehicle. These bills come on the heels of Oprah Winfrey’s texting while driving concerns became public, and would result in drivers being fined between $50 and $300 per violation, as well as adding two points to the offender’s license. Suddenly, twelve cents per text message doesn’t seem so exorbitant, particularly when that text could potentially cost you $300.12!
Currently, there are 18 states that prohibit texting while driving. Georgia would make 19 if the bills pass, which seems highly likely given the current statistics concerning texting. Driving while distracted, currently the term being used to describe crashes involving driver inattention, contribute to as many as 25% of police-reported accidents nationwide, and drivers using cell phones are four times more likely to be involved in an injury crash than drivers whose attention does not stray from the road.
While it can be tempting to grab a quick look at the screen, even if you don’t intend to respond immediately to the text message, it’s important to note that at 70 miles per hour, a driver whose attention is away from the road for even three seconds, can travel the length of a football field without having looked up to see the roadway. It’s far better to let your passenger answer and receive your messages, or if necessary, to pull off the side of the road and stop the car if you don’t have a passenger. This is the only way that you can successfully prevent an accident from happening in the car if you have to send or receive a text message. With as many as 80% of drivers indicating that they support some sort of cell phone use restriction on the roadway, chances are very good that the legislation recently enacted by Georgia will find its way to other states, as well.
Sources:
Nationwide: Cell Phone Driving Statistics: www.nationwide.com
Atlanta Journal Constitution: “Bills Seek Ban on Texting While Driving”: www.ajc.com