Texting While Driving Can Spell D-A-N-G-E-R

by Meagan Dorsch

The popularity and availability of cellular phone technology make it possible for anyone, anywhere, to be connected. In June 2005, about 57.2 billion text messages were sent in the United States. By 2008, that number skyrocketed to 600.5 billion. Many are concerned, however, that
sending text messages while driving is a traffic safety danger.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute say driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes. Because texting while driving is a relatively new activity, few studies have attempted to measure the distraction it causes.

Nationwide Mutual Insurance conducted a survey of 1,500 drivers. Nearly 40 percent of the teenagers and young adults surveyed admitted they send and receive text messages while driving. In the same study, 45 percent of all people surveyed reported they have nearly been hit by someone using a cell phone.

As of January 2009, eight states prohibit all drivers from texting while driving.

In this edition of The Buzz, we talk with Anne Teigen, transportation policy expert at the National Conference of State Legislatures about the dangers of texting while driving. Listen to our podcast (6:40) and learn why this type of distracted driving is catching the eye of law enforcement and legislatures.

Comments

[jrkakapastateradio]

This is a classic example of lobbyist
intervention in jurisprudence logic.

Last year, I was hit from behind as I stopped for a red light that changed very quickly. It was on an urban highway, daylight, sunny day.
The other driver who hit me, admitted he was dialing his cell phone at the time.

The damage was just to my car bumper $700.00, and around $6K for his Taurus.

This January, I was hit in another incident
where I was stopped in traffic, and literally watched the driver's eyes looking
at his wireless device while attempting
to text. This time, again the damage was just to the bumper of my car, again around
$700.00 & about $10K to his Lexus.

A reminder to the insurance underwriter
groups, this is quite an economic stimulus
in itself. It least to sales of new car parts, an increase in job activity by body shops, paint sales, transportation of parts, and vehicles in tow, sales of after market parts, tax revenues, mail activity,
legal work, and sometimes medical activity,
or funeral activity.
It's also good for globalization, Detroit
& Chinese autoworkers, tariff activity,
and international economic activity.

Of course, it can also lead to increased
insurance premiums related to all of the
above.

It's really kind of like a sustainable
business model as long as we continue to
allow the practice of driving distractions.

Perhaps the legislative bodies should
investigate creating a tax on insurance claims as a result of "stupid behavior income"?

Think of the grammar school children that could learn this new language of communications, and become proficient in
avoiding accidents from texting, or other,
electronic navigation while driving skills.

Oh yeah, two months ago my neck began to
hurt with spasms? Of course I signed off
on the insurance claims because I never
felt any discomfort in my neck at the time.

I suppose I'm going to have to live with this discomfort now, without legal recourse.

Too bad for me, but it's all good for the
someone's economy.
Think of the tax revenue's that would have been lost on a multi-million dollar claim if a stupid income tax were imposed

Lastly, it should be noted that neither
of the incidents were registered with
any studies regarding driver distraction
because the wireless companies can only
provide reliance of data on activity that
when "connected at the time".

Activity such as that involved in the recent California train accident show only that the accident, or cause of incident, occurred around the time the texting took place. (kind of hard, without a global real time on board vehicular clock to prove any different.)

So I guess a reasonable person would assume
that the distractive electronic activity
had no bearing on the actual accident.

What luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ajlouny]

Sad thing is that it only takes once to make the mistake of looking away to text that can change your life forever.

[Kevyn Hagemann]

Actually, there are lots of activities that some drivers do while driving. Last time, I saw a girl who's putting up making make up on her face. I don't know what's her on her mind why she's doing a multi-tasking, that's why she can't focus on driving. My Avenger from Dodge (I bought it from one of the dealerships at Edmonton) supposed to be bump to her car, but thank God, I quickly gripped my brake. It's very weird because she's the one who got mad at me, but actually it's her fault.