Texting Ban Update

Here is where I want to say “I told you so.”  But I won’t.   WRONG.  I did tell you that there is not one shred of documented evidence that texting causes accidents in large enough numbers that would warrant a ban of the practice. 

 Again, I know that it is not the best practice to be texting while moving.  However, there was so much anecdotal crap being spread by people about this issue that I had to stand up and take the side of reality.

First, in Laredo, there is no correlation between traffic accidents and cell phone use, including texting.  In fact, I showed you earlier in the year that there is the same amount of traffic accidents in Laredo today as there was 10 years ago.  That is long before texting took off, and I put up the numbers to prove it.  (See; Texting and Driving – The Current Numbers Do Not Warrant a Ban Feb. 7, 2011 blog)

Again, I am not saying go out and text and drive.  When driving you need to be attentive at ALL times.  However, my point has always been, bans don’t work very well.  Education is still the best remedy.

PS:  Distracted driving is what you read below that is a major cause of accidents and fatalities.  You cannot stop distracted driving by bans.  It just cannot be done.  How do you ban not paying attention?  Enforce existing laws that every state has concerning inattentive (reckless) driving and you will go much farther in preventing accidents.

From the USA Today:

Safety group wants more data on cellphone bans

By Larry Copeland, USA TODAY

It's legal in 41 states for drivers to use handheld cellphones, and a leading highway safety organization recommends keeping it that way for now.

The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) urges states to hold off on banning the practice until more research is done to gauge the effectiveness of such laws.

"The problem is the research is conflicting on the issue," says Barbara Harsha, executive director of the group, which advises states on traffic safety. "We don't know if handheld bans are effective, and we don't know if they actually make the problem worse."

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said last year it found no reduction in crashes after handheld cellphones were banned in California, Connecticut, New York and Washington, D.C.

The National Safety Council says handheld bans don't go far enough. "We think there is enough research to enact total bans, handheld and hands-free," says David Teater, senior director of transportation initiatives at the NSC. "And there's no evidence that hands-free devices provide any safety impact."

At the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the federal agency that tracks road deaths, "we feel strongly there is robust evidence on the dangers of distracted driving," says Lynda Tran, NHTSA's director of communications.

The GHSA made its recommendation after reviewing research on distracted driving since 2000 — about 350 studies, Harsha says.

That review followed questions from governors and state legislators who are trying to navigate this still-unfolding aspect of road safety.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has made curbing distracted driving a signature issue.

Some corporations restrict the use of cellphones by employees while in company vehicles. And among some federal workers, the use of the devices while driving is limited.

The greatest momentum has come from lawmakers at the state level: Nine states and the District of Columbia ban handheld cellphones for all drivers.

Texting while driving is illegal in 34 states and the District of Columbia. Twelve states banned it in 2009, 11 did so last year, and two so far this year.

No states ban all cellphone use by all drivers.

According to the Department of Transportation, 5,474 people died and another 448,000 were hurt in crashes involving all forms of distracted driving in 2009.