Putting The Brakes On Texting When Driving

Washington State Makes Text-Messaging On The Road Illegal; Other States Consider Legislation

(CBS)  Self-employed publicist Lee Keller spends hours a day on Seattle's roads. But she makes good use of her time – text messaging with her Blackberry to stay connected.

“I always keep it here so obviously I can see the road,” Keller says.

“This is invaluable, this allows me to have eight or 10 clients and a busy little business and a very busy five-year-old and a family that is constantly needing me,” she tells CBS News correspondent Sandra Hughes.

Keller is not alone. According to a recent insurance company survey, one in five people between 18 and 60 years old drives while text messaging. For young people, the numbers go even higher, to one in three.

Last year a man who was driving and reading his Blackerry set off a five-car pileup on a Seattle interstate. Legislators in Washington decided it was time to put the brakes on driving while texting.

“The fact is, it is a very, very dangerous activity,” said Washington state Rep. Joyce McDonald. “Not only do people jeopardize their own lives, but they're jeopardizing the lives of everyone else on the road.”

Washington is the first state to make texting while driving illegal. But five more states have similar legislation being considered.

In California, like a handful of other states, it will soon be illegal to drive while talking on a handheld phone, but those laws don’t mention texting.

"AAA has done studies that show anything that takes your eyes off the road for more than two seconds doubles your risk of a crash,” says Marie Montgomery, a AAA spokeswoman.

Today Washington makes both hand-held cell phones and texting illegal. So people like Lee Keller are going to have to get creative – or face a fine as high as $250.

“I am going to need to pull over to the side of the road and answer and deal with e-mail,” Keller says.

[jolsonbear]

The law should prohibit the use of all mobile Entertainment/communications devices while driving. Then is would cover talking, texting, song searching on MP3 devices, operating protable video players etc. etc.

What a STUPID person this is to think her life and business are so important that she has the right to endanger others lives. A $250 fine is not enough for people like her.

[mh4cbs1]

Five U.S. soldiers have been charged in the rape of a 14-year-old Mahmoudiya girl and the killing of her and her entire family, and three have pleaded guilty in the March 12, 2006, attack, which was initially blamed on insurgents.

[docadams3]

Guns don't kill people, but text-messaging probably has.

I've been run off the road more than four times on the interstate, with my child in the car, by people who were blabbing on their cell phones. Any deaths resulting from this behavior should be capital offenses, as a result of depraved indifference to human life.

[zorrocaper]

on this segment it showed lee keller using a blackberry but she seemed to not be wearing her seat belt while driving in this segment on this tape so she can use it easier this way . This seems to be an accident times two .Whow is her insurance company are they watching ?.

[jrsmommie]

I think all 50 states should make it illegal to use your phone or text while your driving. There are already a lot of things out there that could cause an accident, we don't need one more.