States Mull Ban On Driving-While-Texting

Susan Koeppen: Washington State House OKs It; At Least 3 Others Considering It

(CBS)  The Washington state House has voted to prohibit driving-while-texting, or DWT.

The move follows, among other things, a December pileup that shut down a Seattle highway for more than an hour. Police blame a driver who was using his BlackBerry.

The measure now goes to Washington's Senate.

If it becomes law, Washington would be the first state to bar DWT.

At least three others are considering it, according to The Early Show consumer correspondent Susan Koeppen.

A wireless industry trade group, CTIA, The Wireless Association, calls focusing on texting-while-driving too narrow.

There are lots of things that distract us when we drive, the group points out, such as eating and grooming so, while the CTIA agrees it's not wise to text while driving, it says lawmakers should tackle driving distractions on a wider scale.

In November, Koeppen reported on a Denver teen involved in a fatal DWT-related accident.

She says Patrick Sims spent 10 days in jail, is still on probation, and isn't allowed to text-message.

[mitch0927]

They need to MULL it over, good grief that should be a no-brainer. I tried it once and it is worse than people reading the newspaper or women putting make-up on. That should be an automatic ticket. I also think that officials should check the cell phones right after a wreck (if possible) to see if they could have been talking on the cell phone just before the accident. This is getting crazy, especially these kids (16, 17 and 18) driving while they are talking on the phone. They don't have enough experience driving; now they are "multi-tasking" while driving. I don't think they teach that in driver education yet. Or do they?

[observantx]

God, talk about clueless.

This should be a given. Texting requires watching the phone or Crackberry instead of the road.

No phones or texting while driving! Period.

[michellem99-2009]

I feel that the driver has a duty when driving the car. Keep your mind ,eyes and ears on the road at all times. No yakking on the cell phone text writing, eating,grooming, and the like. I feel drivers should use common sense. If the drivers are too busy doing this/that while driving has not planned ahead to do what need to be done before driving. The car is for driving. It is sad that you have become so busy that laws have to be passed to make you do the right thing. The young drivers have alot to learn to be good drivers as they learn to drive safely as all drivers should. I am just one of many who use a white cane that tells you that I am blind. I tell you this as you can read the white cane law which you should know it is nation wide as every state has it.I came accross a driver I told her the same thing .I am a lay person. Thank you.

[extremophil]

A law is only as good as the ability to enforce it. Enforce this one (?)

[hypnotoad72]

How about banning anything to do with a sodding cell phone?

Talking on the phone is bad enough and I learned my lesson the easy way...

But Texting really defies that forgotten entity known as "common sense". Maybe instead of banning we can let them swerve off the road... except it's just as possible for somebody decent being killed because of these impatient cretins.

Ban the things outright and sock the drivers with big fines. Unlike seat belts, it's awfully easy to see cell phones being used...

[ajaxrose1]

They're "mulling" it? What's there to "mull?" Hello? Anybody with a brain in our state offices? BAN IT ALREADY!!!

[cadmantwo]

How about just outlawing DWS (Driving While Stupid)? :-)

[optimistic5]

How many of us have dropped something while driving and bent over to pick it up? How many have had kids in the backseat and handed them something while taking your eyes off the road? I have watched these kids txt while driving and they don't even look at the phone. This is how they communicate now...instead of "banning" something we should be looking at ways to make it safer. What an opportunity for car manufacturers to incorporate speach to txt in a car or something along those lines. Or we can all stick our heads in the sand and "pretend" this will go away. Getting the Government involed to create more laws is definately not the answer!

[spitcurl]

Banning is usually bad in all cases. Example: The volstead act back in 1920 banned liquor and caused the biggist crime wave in the nation's history; while making almost every citizen a criminal. The Government had to go nuts to create the 21st amendment to un-do the idiotic damage. Simply put, any and all gadgets that can distract a driver should not be built into an automobile that will function while the vehicle is in motion. Likewise the car's electronic system should make it impossible to PLUG IN anything that a driver could use while the vehicle is in motion. There's carnage out there on the highways folks!
WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING YOU HAVE ONLY ONE MORAL IMPERITIVE: DRIVE! If you want to do anything else,PARK!