New York Takes Aim at Texting Drivers

New York is seriously considering banning the use of text messaging products while driving a car, following in the wake of an accident that killed five teenagers who wrecked their SUV while the driver was sending text messages.

Washington became the first state to ban texting while driving earlier this year; that law goes into effect on January 1. New York banned cell phone use while driving way back in 2001, though that law is apparently widely ignored. The penalty for phoning while driving is $100; the same penalty is proposed for text messaging scofflaws.

How big a problem is texting drivers? Studies show that up to 37 percent of drivers regularly send text messages from behind the wheel. It doesn't take a genius (or a multi-million dollar study) to see the danger in the practice. Taking your eyes off the road and concentrating on the tiny buttons on a cell phone screen can't help but interfere with your ability to stay in your lane and not smash your car into a wall.

Of course, there are plenty of other major driving distractions, from reading the newspaper to putting on makeup, many of which are discouraged but aren't outright illegal. Perhaps it's time for serious reform of the mess of driving laws, which vary widely from state to state? Some federal guidance could at least draw attention to the serious hazards that modern drivers are facing as they use these devices on the road... and from the inattentive drivers around them.

LINK: NY State May Ban Text Messaging While Driving