Don't Text and Drive!

By now I'm sure all of you have become aware of the new laws pertaining to texting and driving.  (If not, please take a look at our previous blog post which outlines the laws.)  It's unfortunate that such laws were even necessary, as one would hope that your fellow drivers on the road with you are driving as safely as possible, for both their sake and yours. 

That being said, the new laws were put into practice to encourage drivers to operate their vehicle safely, that is, without the interruption of cell phones.  The fines for being caught using a cell phone while driving are quite steep, going as far as suspending the offender's license for subsequent offenses.

Even so, according to an article in The Standard magazine (Volume 267, No. 12, Pg. 1), texting while driving bans have not impacted crash rates as of yet.  "A recent study by the Highway Loss Data Institute compared rates of collision insurance claims in California, Minnesota, Washington and Louisiana before and after texting bans were enacted.

"Crash rates were actually a little higher in 3 out of 4 states where bans were enforced," said Russ Radar, spokeman for the Highway Loss Data Institute. 

Strange, no?  Clearly these laws have not yet had the impact that was hoped for. 

Just this week, a 21-year-old Westport man was charged with texting and driving and various other offenses after his truck hit a utility pole in Dartmouth.

Police found the man's 2001 Ford Ranger resting on its left side when they responded to a call about a serious accident on State Road around 3am.

Police reported that the truck had struck a utility pole before coming to rest on its side and trapping the driver inside.  The driver admitted to police that he was reading and replying to text messages when the accident occured.  Fortunately for the driver, he was freed from his vehicle, treated at a local hospital and released without major injury.  (Read "Westport Man in Crash Charged with Texting while Driving.")

Having been the victim of a very serious accident a few years back (though the offending driver was not texting, to my knowledge), I know first-hand the physical and mental pain associated with traumatic car accidents.  In my case, I was unconscious at the scene and had to be freed from my vehicle by the jaws of life.  Fortunately, after a few days in the hospital I was also allowed to go home without any broken bones, but I suffered severely for someone else's careless driving.

Let us hope that fewer people need to learn the dangers of texting and driving the hard way!

Texting While Driving is Never a Good Idea

Massachusetts joined the growing number of states to pass a texting while driving ban after Governor Deval Patrick signed a bill into law late last week.

The bill, H. 4795 (http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/186/ht04pdf/ht04795.pdf), states: “No operator of a motor vehicle shall use a mobile telephone, or any handheld device capable of accessing the Internet, to manually compose, send or read an electronic message while operating a motor vehicle.”

Penalties include a $100 fine for a first offense, a $250 fine for a second offense and a $500 fine for third or subsequent offense.

Cell phone use is also banned for operators of public transportation vehicles owned by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority; the Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority; Massachusetts Port Authority; and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

In a statement, John Murphy, vice president, Northeast region for the American Insurance Association (AIA), praised the new law but said he would have liked to have seen the mobile device ban for drivers under 18 apply to all drivers.

“AIA fully supports the general court’s recognition that novice drivers need to focus solely at the task at hand, and that the additional distraction of cell phones or other handheld devices makes for a dangerous combination,” he said. “This reasoning, however, should extend to the entire population, and not just new drivers.”

He concluded, “That said, we commend the legislature and the governor for approving this important piece of legislation, and will continue to work with lawmakers to ensure that drivers and passengers in Massachusetts safely reach their destinations.”

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, 26 states along with the District of Columbia have passed texting while driving bans and have listed it as a primary offense, meaning drivers can be stopped specifically for texting while driving.

Governo Deval Patrick signed the bill at the Statehouse, while a Blackberry device took a photo. Devices like the Blackberry are targets of the law, which bans text messaging while driving.

The law will take effect in 90 days, in October. It also requires drivers 75 and older to have vision tests and to renew their licenses in person, rather than online.

The governor signed the bill in his office, surrounded by lawmakers, state officials and relatives whose loved ones have been killed in texting-related crashes. Bumper stickers placed around the bill read, "Drive Now, Text Later."

"We all have more to do than we have time to do it," Patrick said. "And the tools that are available to us today – texting, e-mail, Blackberries, cellphones -- are a part of how we get all that done. But using those tools must be done wisely. It must be done consistent with the safety of oneself and others. And this bill, by banning texting while driving, is a big step in the right direction."

The texting ban covers e-mailing, Internet searching, and other non-calling activity on a phone, laptop, or handheld electronic device by anyone operating a motor vehicle. It also applies to drivers not only while they are driving but also while waiting at traffic lights and stop signs. Texting — and talking for those under 18 — will still be allowed by a driver in an emergency or when the car is pulled over and parked.

Violations will result in a $100 fine, but the offense will not be considered a moving violation and will not result in an insurance surcharge.

Courtesy of: The Boston Globe