One would think that creating a law that bans texting while
driving is a no brainer, especially considering that texting is a preferred
form of communication for our youth. Yet only thirty eight out of fifty states
of our country have implemented that law. The latest state, Alabama which will
have a ban on texting behind the wheel effective August 1st, will fine
first time offenders $25.00, second timers $50.00 and $75.00 for all subsequent
offences. In California where texting while driving ban went into effect on
January 2009, first time violators are subjected to a $20.00 fine. All
subsequent convictions are subject to $50.00 fine. Note that even though these
convictions will appear on your DMV record they will not cost you a point or
adversely affect your insurance premium. Are these fines severe enough to
enforce the law? How serious is this situation?
Yesterday I went to take a look at the Honda that belongs to
the City of Burbank. It was smashed beyond repair. The car was parked while it
was hit by a young motorist who destroyed two other vehicles at the same time.”
He was going thirty five miles per hour and he didn’t even stop,” exclaimed
Tim, city supervisor:” There were no tire marks. The kid swore up and down that
he wasn’t texting.”
Fortunately all three vehicles were parked and the young kid
walked away unharmed. But how many accidents of this nature end up with
fatalities? Are you talking to your children about texting and driving? My twenty
year old son likes to text at the dinner table or even while he is talking to
me on the phone. He says he doesn’t text
while he drives, but he checks his messages. Do you check your messages while
you drive? Is it safe? No!
A cause of a major train wreck in Chatsworth several years
ago was attributed to a train engineer texting while on the job. How scary it would be to think that our
airline pilots are texting while in the air? How many more fatalities do we
need to stop ignoring potentially life altering dangers associated with texting
and driving?
“Now more than three quarters of our states outlaw one of
the riskiest behaviors behind the wheel- texting and driving,” said U.S
transportation Secretary Ray La Hood. What about the rest of the country? For
more information on text messaging law click on http://dmv.ca.gov/cellularphonelaws/
Great article. I have a close personal friend who was actually on the Chatsworth train. The trauma that he was caused for the reason and the lack of importance of that communications is greatly as-cued.
ReplyDeleteThere are great lessons to be learned from great tragedies.