Should text-messaging while driving be illegal by law?

Question

I've heard that text-messaging while driving would cause fatal results, so I'm considering two examples of such news reports of text-messaging fatalities that I've heard:

1.) In Fairport, N.Y., five teenage girls died when their SUV slammed head-on into a tractor-trailer. Investigators looking into the crash have found that text messages were sent back and forth from the driver's cell phone just moments before the crash.
2.) While he was text-messaging, Patrick Sims slammed and killed bicyclist Jim Price, a father of two.

I looked at an issue of "People" magazine and came up with the two examples of text-messaging fatalities that moved me. My sympathetic condolences go to the victims caused by the accidents. In my opinion, text-messaging while driving should be illegal by law, and it should apply not only teenagers but to adults as well.

What do you think? Should text-messaging while driving be illegal by law? What kinds of penalties should we give for breaking it?

How is the police going to catch and arrest drivers who are text-messaging on the road?

Answer 1

Yes! As well as talking on a cell phone.

When I see people driving and talking on a cell phone and obviously not paying to their driving, I often think to myself "Hang up and drive!" The best bumper sticker I have ever seen was "It's a car, not a phone booth, hang up and drive"

I have seen a driver driving down the Interstate highway while reading the newspaper.

We have all seen the women using the rear view mirror to apply make up.

Unfortunately we can not outlaw stupidity.

Remember we can not impose punishment on dead people.

As much as it may be needed, we can not always protect people from themselves and/or their other victims.

Answer 2

I would almost.... ALMOST be willing to concede people talking on the phone versus this fiasco. I see people texting, composing e-mails and countless other electronic related acts behind the wheel... involving phones, PDAs, BlackBerries, Laptops and the like. I have a good view from behind the wheel of my semi, and can only shudder in horror and sometimes lay on the horn when these people drift around on the roadway.

Should there be a law, yes. It is a sad commentary that we need to regulate common sense. I'm only 31 going on 32 and have seen most of this technology develop as I have grown up.... I'm old enough to remember cash registers that required some mathematical skill, gas prices under $1.00, the advent of the pager and answering machine and when computers and cell phones were for the well to do.... what is so important that it can't wait until you're not driving 75mph on the highway???? I can see calling someone if you're caught in a traffic jam or quickly at a red light, but unfortunately too many people don't stop and think things through and realize that their actions could potentially impact many others.... either by causing an accident, having one and injuring another person or killing a pedestrian. Driving is a priviledge, not a right and is really a dual neccessity and luxury... as is a cell phone.

The accidents and carnage caused by this cruel Social Darwinism is unacceptable. Please don't try to "Naturally Select" me!

Answer 3

Yes it should! I am an avid texter, and have memorized the keypad, so the only time I look down while texting is to read over it for mistakes before I send it, but not everyone can do this. A lot of people swerve just reaching for their cell phone to answer it. I believe that people either just can, or just cant talk while driving. The people who cant, should pull over. The people who can should probably pull over too. I txt while I drive and I can see why it is so dangerous to some. I beleive the average driver cannot safely manage txting while driving therefore it should be outlawed. I only txt when I absolutely have to, and 9 times out of 10 i pull over or do it at a red light. If a law went into effect I would still abide by it even though I feel as though I am capable.

Answer 4

It should not be illegal. Every law has to be able to be enforced by the police. How can your prove that was a cell phone in your hand and not a box of cigs or something else.
I am not saying that people should not drive and text I am just saying that making it illegal will not solve the problem.

FedEx trucks have a system that disables the couriers computer when the vehicle is in motion. It is a simple transmitter attached to the speedometer. When the vehicle is moving it transmits a signal and the couriers computer blanks out. A similiar system could be devised for cars and cell phones.

Answer 5

In the UK texting is already illegal, as is anything else involving handling the phone - see the link below to the regulation. Trouble is, I see people every day flouting the law - risking not just accidents but also penalty points on their licence and a £60 (US$120) fine.

I agree that enforcement is very difficult, but mobile phone company records and the phone's own memory will be cited in any court case as evidence that the driver was in the wrong, although by then it's too late as someone else is likely to be injured or DEAD!

Answer 6

There should be nothing illegal about doing anything in your car unless you are breaking a traffic law period! Some of us are capable of doing things while driving such as eating, talking to a person in the passenger seat or on a phone (no difference to me) or anything the hell else I want to do that was never included in the rules of the road when I got my license. What happened to our freedom? Seatbelts, no drinking, might as well tell us what color cars we can drive. Punish the idiots that screw up for their driving and not everyone else that can walk and chew bubble gum at the same time. It's not the cars, the phone, or anything else but the lack of focus while driving.

Answer 7

Oh, this is a tough one. I've commented about this kind of thing before.

Sure, your knee-jerk reaction when you hear about this kind of stuff is say, "there ought to be a law!" Sometimes we are right, somtimes that may be a problem...

The problem is two fold.

Do we really want/need the government to regulate every aspect of our lives?

Don't get me wrong, laws and rules are a cornerstone to civilized society. I am not proposing anarchy. But things need to be reasonable. For example, sure there needs to be a 20MPH speed limit in front of a school and people dang well better slow down! But give the local yokel permission to set speed limits and the next thing you have is the interstate speed reduced from 65 to 50 as it passes through their section of the woods for no other reason than for them to have a new revenue source. Ridiculous! (Yet it happens all the time.)

It's kind of the same thing inside your car. Yes, you should be paying attention. No, you shouldn't be reading your text message, map, book, screwing with a laptop computer, or a myriad of other things. But do we need to legislate common sense? And once we start that process, then what IS and ISN'T reasonable? You CAN talk on your phone if it's an earpiece, but you CANNOT hold a phone up to your ear... hmmm, okay, that makes a lot of sense. It is illegal to text on your phone, but it is okay to type instructions into your GPS. I can go on and on, but I think you get my point.

Secondly, (and maybe this should have been my only answer), if people are SO DUMB as to drive into a truck because they were too busy texting messages, do you really think they are going to pay any attention to a law prohibiting that kind of activity? Last I checked, it was illegal to drive into another vehicle, but they sure missed that one.

Answer 8

Yes it should be illegal. Just like cell phones without hands free devices.

By catching them : simple they will be the ones causing accidents looking for the keys they should be pressing.

Answer 9

Distracted driving covers everything but we are still dealing with a very low percentage of collisions. There would have to be 1000 times the number of speeders at least. I think this cell phone stuff is just a violent brain manifestation for something to do.

Answer 10

Yes. Talking on cell phones is against the law in many states already so adding this would be a good idea.