Many states have laws in place that restrict or prohibit cell phone use while driving, but nearly 40 states plus Washington D.C. and Guam have issued laws that prohibit text messaging for all drivers and an additional five states forbid all cell phone use for novice drivers.
In 2010, Kentucky finalized a measure that banned drivers from text messaging while driving. The ruling also prohibited new drivers who have less than six months of driving experience to talk on a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle. Kentucky’s ban on text messaging joined many other state rulings outlawing various types of cell phone usage while driving as a traffic safety measure.
“It’s going to save lives — not only people who are texting but innocent people who are driving around them,” state senator, Denise Harper Angel told the Associated Press.
Penalties for not complying with the new security measures will result in fines and court costs.
In Connecticut and New York, it is illegal to talk on a cell phone while driving.
In six other states an officer may cite tickets for this offense without due cause of any other traffic violation such as speeding.
Nearly 25 percent of traffic accidents can be attributed to drivers talking on cell phones and more than one-fifth of Americans admit to text messaging while driving, according to All American Auto Transport.
The new rulings call attention to the government’s continued focus on instituting traffic safety measures in efforts to reduce health-related costs and auto insurance rates associated with traffic accidents.
But is it working?
Harris Interactive recently conducted a survey for State Farm in April that highlighted whether incidences of teen text messaging and driving have increased or declined since 2010. The survey found that 57 percent of teens admit to texting while driving, despite the attention brought to the dangers of driving and text messaging and recent traffic laws forbidding it.
The survey also found that of the 14- to 17-year olds surveyed, 35 percent “strongly agree” that they will be involved in a fatal traffic accident if they regularly text message while driving. The survey also found that 57 percent of teens “strongly agree” that if a person drinks and drives on a regular basis they will be involved in a fatal traffic accident. Despite the fact that recent research has found that the consequences of text messaging and driving can be more fatal than drinking and driving.
Also, the survey showed that 82 percent of teens who do not text message while driving had frequent talks with their parents about the importance of safe driving. This is in stark comparison to 67 percent of teen drivers who report regularly text messaging while driving.
To learn more, go to safe texting fact sheet.
