News What's new in the
Texting n Driving world? The CBS Early Show reported that in 2008 there were 6,000
fatalities due to accidents caused by distracted drivers. And,
in a recent survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and
pet product company Kurgo, 80 percent of respondents said
they've driven with their pets. Fast facts - Texting
bans - Text messaging is banned for all drivers in 23 states
and the District of Columbia: Alaska, Arkansas, California,
Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New
York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah,
Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.
Bi-Partisan Push to Stop Texting and
Driving
President
Obama Bans "Texting while Driving" for 4,500,000 government
workers - Nothing makes you a supporter of a ban on "texting
while driving" like your body coming into contact with a vehicle
driven by some moron fiddling with a cell phone. (Several Ars
staffers have had that unpleasant experience firsthand.)
President Obama doesn't want any of those morons to be federal
employees—as of Thursday, all government employees are banned
from texting while driving whenever they are on the job, driving
a federal vehicle, or using a government-supplied cell phone. Tennessee 2nd in U.S.
for Texting and Driving - Almost nine of 10 Americans agree
that texting while driving spells trouble, yet South Carolina
and Tennessee lead the nation in those who admit to sending or
receiving text messages while behind the wheel.
Iowa Texting Ban Goes Into Effect July 1st - Council Bluffs, IA - Three laws in effect beginning July 1st. No texting while driving for adults and for drivers under 18, a complete ban on cell phone use. A similar ban goes into effect in Nebraska July 15th. That ban includes no texting while driving and is a secondary offense in Nebraska, meaning police need another reason to pull over drivers. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to Sign Safe Driving Bill - July 01, 2010 Boston Governor Deval Patrick is preparing to sign a safe driving bill that bans texting while driving and requires older drivers to get vision tests every five years. The governor will sign the bill on Friday at noon. Those caught texting and driving would face a fine and the suspension of their license or learner's permit under the legislation. The bill completely bans drivers under 18 from using cell phones. Anyone 18 and older would still be able to use cell phones while driving without facing any penalty. The Associated Press Georgia's New Texting n
Driving Law - Governor Signs Texting and Cell Phone Bill
into Law "No person shall operate a motor vehicle on any public road or highway of this state while using a wireless telecommunications device to write, send, or read any text based communication, including but not limited to a text message, instant message, electronic mail, or Internet data." The fine for offenders will be $150 and one point on their driver license, the new law goes into effect on July 1st, 2010. House Bill 23 was also signed into law by the Governor. This new law prohibits drivers under the age of 18 from using a wireless communication device. Specifically the new law states: "prohibits use of wireless telecommunications devices by persons under 18 years of age with an instruction permit or Class D license while operating a motor vehicle" Like the other new driving law, the fine for offenders will be $150 and one point on their driver license, the new law goes into effect on July 1st, 2010. Michigan bans texting
while driving - LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan motorists
should have one less excuse for being distracted behind the
wheel. The state's ban on texting while driving takes effect
Thursday, July 01, 2010. Texting-while-Driving
ban signed into R.I. law - Nov 10, 2009 - PROVIDENCE, R.I. _
With the stroke of Governor Carcieri's pen, it is now illegal to
text-message while driving in Rhode Island.
U.S.
Transportation Secretary LaHood, Congressional Leaders and
Jordin Sparks Join Allstate in Urging Americans to Stop Texting
and Driving - WASHINGTON, April 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -
Today, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood joined
singing sensation Jordin Sparks, Congressional leaders and
Allstate senior executives to urge Americans to take a pledge
not to text and drive. Ban on cellphone use
while driving leads to nearly 670 citations July 05, 2013 The bill includes $130,350
for the Oregon Department of Transportation to produce signs on
state highways that warn drivers about the new fines. Courtney
said he wants the same kind of public awareness campaign as the
ones to persuade drivers to buckle up. The Oregon State Police
has taken a neutral stand on the bill, said Lt. Gregg Hastings,
spokesman for the agency. But he acknowledges growing concern
about the way cell phones are used by drivers. "In general
terms, texting and driving is a real problem," Hastings said.
"It takes the focus off the task of driving." New York officials say
more state troopers in unmarked sport utility vehicles are on
the road this summer looking for drivers who are texting instead
of watching where they're going. The summer campaign against
texting while driving, now subject to stiffer penalties,
includes state police in what authorities call "Concealed
Identity Traffic Enforcement" vehicles. They're taller than
average and intended to let officers see better into other cars
to determine if somebody is texting. The unmarked vehicles in
various colors have hidden emergency lights. More than 30,000
tickets were issued in the state for texting at the wheel last
year, up 234 percent from 2011.
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