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If you’re old enough to have a driver’s license and you use your cell phone to send text messages, you’re probably guilty of what I’m about to write about: Texting while driving.
I’ll be the first to admit I’ve done the same a few times — but I’m not proud of it. In fact I’m ashamed because people have lost their lives because of such dumb actions.
The U.S. Department of Transportation reported that some 5,870 people died and some 515,000 were injured in 2008 in crashes connected to distracted motorists. Those distractions typically involved mobile devices or cell phones. In 16 percent of all 2008 fatal crashes, driver distraction was involved, and it was more common among young motorists.
One in seven drivers admitted to texting while driving, according to a 2008 report the AAA Foundation published.
Somehow, we believe the number is higher today because most younger people would rather send a text message than make a phone call.
In Indiana and most states across the nation, however, there are no laws that all ban motorists from texting while driving, but that might be changing.
Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle, has introduced a bill that would prohibit all drivers — regardless of their age — from sending text messages and e-mails while driving.
Earlier this year, Indiana passed a law to ban teens up to age 18 from using cell phones and texting while driving, thanks to Holdman’s leadership and persistence. But, the first-term state senator is hoping to take his idea to the next level because of support he has received from Indiana voters and others.
Holdman filed the texting-driving ban bill at the end of October. If it passes, drivers would be fined for violations. Legislators reconvene Jan. 5 to hear Holdman’s bill and others that will emerge in this non-budget session.
Even though the next legislative session does not begin for more than one month, there is already support for Holdman’s bill. Even some legislators who normally vote against such cell phone bans have indicated they will support Holdman’s initiative.
“A driver’s crash risk doubles when attention is taken off the road for two or more seconds,” Holdman said. “An increasing number of people are texting and e-mailing while driving, which diverts their attention away from the road and endangers other motorists, passengers and pedestrians. This legislation will save lives.”
From this perspective, Holdman’s latest bill is a no-brainer and a necessary step to take in the text-messaging society in which we now live.
It’s odd to drive anywhere today and not see at least one motorist texting behind the wheel. That distraction usually lasts two seconds or more, and the risk for a crash doubles in that short amount of time.
The hope here is that Indiana lawmakers will make a responsible decision this legislative session to ban texting and e-mailing behind the wheel for all drivers. Indiana needs to join 18 other states and Washington, D.C., to pass such legislation.
Penalties for violating the cell phone law should be swift and severe. The first violation should be a fine, but subsequent offenses should lead to the loss of a driver’s license because texting and driving does kill people.
We can think of only one other time we have used this space to advocate putting greater restrictions on a person’s privileges, and it also had to do with cell phones, texting and driving. We supported Holdman’s efforts to pass the Graduated Driver License law, and we are also behind him in his push to make Indiana’s highways safer.
The stakes of not supporting such a restriction will result in more people being killed, and the untimely loss of even one life is too many.
The critics and naysayers will say such a law will not solve the problem. They may be right, but if it causes just one motorist not to text or e-mail while driving, then it was a success and a life probably was saved.
How can you argue with that?
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