Thoughts from the Curb: Where Can I Text While Driving?
Going on a road trip this summer? Are you fiendishly attached to text messaging, devoted to communicating with others using short, non-descriptive sentences in broken English? Well, this little map should come in handy, as it shows where you can be nicked by Johnny Law for typing BTW rather than driving your BMW.
Dark Red: States with full texting while driving bans. Good for them.
Dark Blue: States with texting bans for those younger than 18 years old or holding learner's permits. Because a 17-year-old texting is apparently horribly dangerous, but a 19-year-old or even a 39-year-old is A-OK.
Pink: States with potential or pending texting bans. Get'er done.
Oregon: States with texting bans for those younger than 18 years old, but have a full texting ban pending.
White: No laws at all, where freedom rings upon texters everywhere, liberated of big government's grasp upon your Blackberry.
However, texting laws are actually more wide-spread than hand-held cell phone bans. This is probably for the best since looking at your phone is more of a distraction than talking on it. But whether its talking, e-mailing, texting, sexting, video pokering, light saber battling, Russian learning or whatever else you can do with a phone these days, you shouldn't be able to do it while driving. Get a Bluetooth and call the person. It'll be faster than typing out little messages anyway. (Do you get the idea that I hate text messaging?)
This is a bigger deal than those stupid Click It or Ticket Campaigns. If I don't click it, I'm signing off on a rather violent meet-and-greet with my airbag. I may die, my hypothetical children may lose their father, my mother will be sad, blogs will go unwritten. But that's better than typing "Lol. Wat r u doing tonite. I go to movie w. mark" then rear-ending a family of five at an intersection. And if I also didn't click it, I'm really screwed.
Still, if you want the government budding out of your vehicular communication may I suggest Kentucky, Florida or New Mexico for your next road trip. Or you could avoid them.
James Riswick, Automotive Editor
For the map of those states, check out the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.Thoughts from curb is my wekly editorial colum that appears every wed mornin at 6 am est it delves into watever car topic pops into my bizare mind lol btw i cant hang tonite. T2ul
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- James Riswick July 15, 2009, 3:00 AM
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I think the dark blue states are interesting. These states went through the trouble of passing a texting law and only felt the need to apply it to minors? That seems strange.
I live in Illinois and I really hope they pass the law here. Using a phone for anything other than calling, though a bluetooth device of course, while driving is ridiculously dangerous. And this is coming from an early-20s gadget lover! Hopefully those dark blue states change the ban to include all drivers, it would be better for everyone.
Florida seems to just ignore all laws. It's a law that a person under 16 must wear a helmet on a bike, but it's not a law to wear a helmet while on a motorcycle? Makes no sense to me whatsoever.
Well if everyone is so passionate about banning texting and using cell phones, why stop there?
How about the multitudes of other driver distractions... like GPS and other navigational systems? Changing a radio station or messing with your MP3 player? How about a ban for women applying makeup? How about pesky passengers who won't shut up - can we pass a law banning them too?
Oh, here's another one - how many of us have been distracted by a crying baby or unruly children? We definitely need a law to ban them. How many such things have caused deadly accidents? Plenty!
So, in addition to banning texting and cell phone usage, let's also ban any sort of radio or stereo systems/iPods in cars. And get rid of the GPSs also - if you're really that lost, pull over and use a map. Also, let's ban any chatting in the car - don't want the driver to be distracted by any sort of conversation.
Let's see... what else can we "ban"....
@yankeez - I think you're missing the point. Doing certain things, such as texting or applying makeup, while driving have be associated with an inordinately high risk level. Changing the radio station or song on an MP3 player is a 5 second operation, texting can take up to a minute.
The laws proposed and in place are attempting to limit the use of devices or procedures which can be limited. Telling a sing mother of 3 that she can't take her children in the car with her isn't feasible or rational. I doubt that you should worry about the US turning into a police state...
My younger sister (21) can text faster than some people can type - without taking the phone out of her jacket pocket. (It's like touch typing, except most phones guess what you're trying to write so you don't have to spell out the entire word, once you understand how the phone does it.)
Try enforcing against that!
Besides, people around here are breaking the cell phone laws (no handheld calls) as often as they break the speed limit.
What's that little bitty red thing at the bottom - the Mexican state of Sonora?
Texting is mostly a problem in Boise - cell coverage in the rest of the state is still spotty.
Oh wait a minute! I forgot about EATING! DRINKING! How much is a driver distracted while eating or drinking? (and no, I'm not talking about alcohol). Bet there have been plenty of accidents and fatalities because of a distracted driver trying to down a Big Mac. So let's ban eating or drinking in a vehicle (hell, why not ban Big Macs too? Those things are terrible for you).
Hmmmm, what else should we ban.... how about driving in the rain? How many lives could be saved if people didn't drive in the rain (or snow?) Let's pass a law that anytime it rains or snows, the driver must immediately pull over and wait it out (sure there will be some drivers who will grumble aout this, but hey - it's for their own good).
Boy, if only we could pass a law that would outlaw rain or snow..., or better yet, have it do so only during certain times. Hey, if we humans can actually control the weather with climate change, maybe we can do something about this problem too!
Oh, the possibilities!
Just thought of something else - if we can ban eating and drinking in cars, that means that we'll have to ban all the drive-thrus in all the fast-food places. If you go to a Sonic or some other drive-in type place, your keys will have to be surrendered to the waitress until you're completely done. And no "to-go" orders either - when you place an order, we'll pass a law that requires you to remain on the premises for no less than 30 minutes while your food and drink is consumed, or prove that you've consumed it all before getting back in the car.
This "banning" stuff is pretty cool! Just like eating potato chips - you can't ban just one thing!