Washington State Bans Texting While Driving

[Player-X]

Washington State Bans Texting While Driving


5 Other States Consider Similar Legislation

(CBS) SEATTLE Washington state has outlawed text messaging while driving, and several other states, including New Jersey and Arizona, are considering the same ban.

Some people, like self-employed publicist Lee Keller, spends hours a day driving. She makes good use of her time on Seattle's streets – 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.”

Five other states are considering following Washington's lead with legislation outlawing texting while driving.

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.

I support this ban, there are people who seem to not notice the stop light is green because they were too busy sending an e-mail from their blackberry.

[Holic]

yeah i agree with you.

How can anybody drive whilst texting is beyond me,
serious accidents will be avoided with this ban.

In the UK the use of mobile phone whilst driving is also banned.

[The Magic Hobo]

Has this only just been banned in America? And is driving while talking on phone still legal?(I did read that it will soon be banned) cant remember how long exactly but its been illegal for a while in the uk...

EDIT: xxxHolic, can you remember about how long its been illegal? I cant, and for some reason it's starting to annoy me!

[Holic]

a good five years ago now?

[Kazuya Mishima]

It needs some practice. I can text message someone without seeing my cell phone one single time.

[industrian]

Originally Posted by The Magic Hobo

xxxHolic, can you remember about how long its been illegal? I cant, and for some reason it's starting to annoy me!

Originally Posted by xxxHolic

a good five years ago now?

It's been illegal since 1 December, 2003.

That said, I remember my manager getting cautioned for phoning whilst driving back in 2002.

[jonc2006]

Originally Posted by Player-X

I support this ban, there are people who seem to not notice the stop light is green because they were too busy sending an e-mail from their blackberry.

yeah but will people comply with the law?

[Player-X]

I think it will if there is an anonymous hot-line for that so people can call in people who violate the law (Yes I know that would mean calling on the cell phone while driving).

[skoreanime]

I'm in favour for this ban. I wish Canada would start the process of making this a law already...this is so bloody obvious that people who are oblivious to it should be slapped.

Seriously, driving on my way to work today I saw a driver focusing on his cell phone, ran a STOP sign and almost ran over a mother, a baby in her stroller and her other child that was 2 feet tall. It's as bad as drunk driving IMO. It's a stupid decision that has a chance of causing a fatal incident. And I won't say accident. It was no freaking bloody accident that you decided to play around on your cellphone while driving 60km/h.

[Holic]

Originally Posted by Player-X

I think it will if there is an anonymous hot-line for that so people can call in people who violate the law (Yes I know that would mean calling on the cell phone while driving).

Over in the UK,
If i see a person using a phone whilst driving,
I don't go off running to the police or phoning them TBH,
most poeple are the same IMO.

But if a police catches when he/she is driving pass,
its a different story.

[Player-X]

Or you can take a picture using a camera and send the photo to the police.

[blueshogun96]

Laws like this make me love my home state even more...

[jonc2006]

Originally Posted by Player-X

Or you can take a picture using a camera and send the photo to the police.

im all for this ban but im just saying thats going to be hard to catch people if the main way people are going to use to turn them in is just as bad and harmful as texting while driving too.

[cloudsBro]

Well it makes sense to ban texting after they ban phoning someone. Both distractions to the driver.

[Cid Highwind]

You're only allowed to phone handsfree here, otherwise you'll get a €90,- fine. It's been like that for years. Of course there's still plenty of arses who don't give a rat's ass for the law. I can't stand such people, same with drinking and driving.

I don't care if you kill yourself by driving into a tree. But when it's another person you're killing, that's when you have a problem. Bah, 2 months ago a drunk dude rammed another car, the 50 year old woman died because she hit a tree because of it. He was drunk. I don't think there is even a suitable penalty for such guys. I sure as hell hope he'll get beat up for it. If she were my mother, he'd do good by trying to avoid me at all costs.

[Proto]

I don't care if you kill yourself by driving into a tree.

Yeah and I'm sure you are against the Kyoto treaty too, huh? You enemy of mother nature!!

[Cid Highwind]

Of course he does have to pay for a new tree to balance it out. The costs of some streetlights would be higher, seeing how those have to be made in factories and all

[Master Chief]

In my state talking on a cell phone while driving is illegal. I don't have a problem with it. There's to many dumb idiots on the road who yip yap and don't pay attention to what's going on.

[Proto]

Of course he does have to pay for a new tree to balance it out. The costs of some streetlights would be higher, seeing how those have to be made in factories and all

There are more environment friendly ways of commiting suicide you know Even if you are desperate to die in a car you could just leave your motor on and close the windows and get asleep in the car, or crashing against a solid wall or something. Why do the poor trees have to pay for every random idiot out there

[Player-X]

I have another reason to care about some idiot crashers into a tree, it could cause traffic slowdowns due to the debris on the road and it costs tax payer money to repair any damage.