Ron's Journal Archive
Let's talk texting while driving
8/10/2009
It would be nice if we could fire a silver bullet to resolve the distracted driving problem. But we can't, simply because there is sufficient fuel for forceful arguments on multiple sides of this matter.
But we need to have this discussion because three bills have been introduced into our state legislature so far that deal with this topic. And, they are drawing quite a bit of news media attention.
I'm reluctant to support a new law that could be a serious limitation on our driving freedoms. On the other hand, there is little question that a variety of activities that extend beyond reading or sending text messages on mobile phones do increase the safety risk.
This is a classic case that illustrates the connection between personal freedom and the responsibility that comes with it. On that point we can probably all agree. The rub comes when we consider what should constitute a traffic offense. A whole lot of things contribute to the relative safety of a driver -- everything from whether they are having a good day to experiencing a heart attack, from trying to change their shoes to arguing with back seat passengers. The list is almost endless.
And talking on a cell phone or exchanging text messages are examples off the long list of things that divide a driver's attention.
Legislation introduced: If you want to get a fairly quick overview of legislation introduced and some of the issues associated with it, I would recommend this article from the Dayton Daily News: Driver distraction bans catching on
I recently saw a report about drivers tested for reaction times after they drank enough alcohol to be legally drunk, compared to sober drivers who were texting on their phones. The results suggested that the texting drivers were far less able to react than the alcohol-impaired drivers. This is sobering, folks!
The Dayton Daily News article points to a study released last month done by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. Truck drivers who were text messaging were found to be 23.2 times more at risk of crash or near crash as for non-distracted drivers, according to this report.
Read the bills: Three bills have been introduced by a two members of the Ohio House from the Cleveland area. Links are provided here if you would like to read them. Keep in mind that the underlined text in the bills is the proposed new language.
HB 261 would ban make text messaging while driving a secondary offense and HB 262 would also prohibit hand-held cell phone use. Both are sponsored by State Rep. Michael DeBose, D-Cleveland. The third bill, HB 266 makes the following primary traffic offenses: driving while texting or using any "mobile communication device," which includes cell phones. This bill's chief sponsor is Rep. Joseph Koziura, D-Lorain.
Considering the policy: An argument can be made that we should focus offenses and penalties on situations that actually result in harm to others and not so much on the situations that might lead to harm. Some of our current traffic laws are set in the manner, while others are not.
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