Many have witnessed or may have even been a distracted driver, lingering at a traffic light unaware that the light has turned green, momentarily distracted while sending an e-mail or text message. More than delaying other drivers on the road, distracted drivers pose a danger to themselves and others. With the practice of texting while driving becoming more common, states are enacting laws to attempt to stop this.
Wyoming recently enacted legislation to penalize drivers for texting while driving. Gov. Dave Fruedenthal signed legislation on March 10 that would ban the use of hand-held communications devices to send or receive text messages while driving. The text messaging ban while driving is part of a national movement already adopted by 19 other states to limit the number of distracted drivers on the road. The new ban will allow law enforcement officials to ticket anyone caught texting while driving in Wyoming.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood applauded Wyoming for becoming the 20th state to enact a statewide ban prohibiting drivers from texting while behind the wheel.
“Wyoming has taken an important step to eliminate distracted driving,” said Secretary LaHood in press release issued by the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA). “Texting while driving, like talking on cell phones while driving, is dangerous to the driver doing it and all of those around them.”
According to research by NHTSA, nearly 6,000 people died in 2008 in crashes involving a distracted or inattentive driver, and more than half a million were injured.
Additional research has been conducted to calculate how texting while driving affects a driver’s ability to focus on the road. UMass Amherst’s studies using a state-of-the-art driving simulator showed the average time spent glancing away from the forward roadway doubled to 2.6 seconds when the driver was texting compared to 1.1 seconds when the driver was not.
Washington State passed legislation on March 11 that would make it illegal to use a hand-held cell phone while driving, unless the driver is using the device to report illegal activity, summon medical or other emergency help, or prevent injury to a person or property.
Other places that have banned texting while driving include: Alaska, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, and Guam.
Although a Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) study conducted in January 2010 found no decrease in the number of accidents and insurance claims following a ban of cell phone use or texting while driving, HLDI stated that reductions in observed phone use following bans are so substantial and that the estimated effects of phone use on crash risk are so large that reductions in aggregate crashes would be expected.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has launched the first national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending distracted driving in this country. Learn more at Distraction.gov.
Wyoming recently enacted legislation to penalize drivers for texting while driving. Gov. Dave Fruedenthal signed legislation on March 10 that would ban the use of hand-held communications devices to send or receive text messages while driving. The text messaging ban while driving is part of a national movement already adopted by 19 other states to limit the number of distracted drivers on the road. The new ban will allow law enforcement officials to ticket anyone caught texting while driving in Wyoming.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood applauded Wyoming for becoming the 20th state to enact a statewide ban prohibiting drivers from texting while behind the wheel.
“Wyoming has taken an important step to eliminate distracted driving,” said Secretary LaHood in press release issued by the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA). “Texting while driving, like talking on cell phones while driving, is dangerous to the driver doing it and all of those around them.”
According to research by NHTSA, nearly 6,000 people died in 2008 in crashes involving a distracted or inattentive driver, and more than half a million were injured.
Additional research has been conducted to calculate how texting while driving affects a driver’s ability to focus on the road. UMass Amherst’s studies using a state-of-the-art driving simulator showed the average time spent glancing away from the forward roadway doubled to 2.6 seconds when the driver was texting compared to 1.1 seconds when the driver was not.
Washington State passed legislation on March 11 that would make it illegal to use a hand-held cell phone while driving, unless the driver is using the device to report illegal activity, summon medical or other emergency help, or prevent injury to a person or property.
Other places that have banned texting while driving include: Alaska, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, and Guam.
Although a Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) study conducted in January 2010 found no decrease in the number of accidents and insurance claims following a ban of cell phone use or texting while driving, HLDI stated that reductions in observed phone use following bans are so substantial and that the estimated effects of phone use on crash risk are so large that reductions in aggregate crashes would be expected.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has launched the first national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending distracted driving in this country. Learn more at Distraction.gov.
