Texting, Mobile Phones, And Distracted Driving

It’s pretty obvious: driving while texting, using a mobile device, or talking on the cell phone is driving while distracted. Your hands are off the wheel, your eyes are off the road, and, perhaps most importantly, your mind is not focused on driving.

In 2009, Indiana passed a law that made it illegal for drivers under the age of 18 to text message, talk on the cell phone, or use a mobile device while behind the wheel. But a similar law that would ban texting for all drivers in Indiana did not pass, and many question the effectiveness of any law that bans such actions as they are hard to enforce (only three tickets have been issued for teens talking on cell phones in the last year in Indiana). Lawmakers believe, however, that a texting law could go through for drivers of all ages in 2011.

While most people say that they would be happy with laws that limit cell phone use and texting while driving, most people also admit to engaging in these dangerous distracted driving activities while behind the wheel. At the same time, states that have already instated texting or cell phone driving laws have not seen a significant reduction in car accidents or car accident injuries.

Still, the statistics related to text messaging, emailing, and talking on the phone while driving speak for themselves:

• One in ten teen drivers are talking on the phone while on the road at any given time.
• Those who admit to talking on the phone while behind the wheel are four time more likely to get into a car accident that involves serious injury.
• Talking on a cell phone while driving is akin to driving with a blood alcohol content above the legal limit of 0.08.




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