Are You Driving While Under the Influence of– Texting?
Thursday, July 30th, 2009 | posted by: Will Currie
Everyone knows that it is not safe to text and drive, but the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) recently released findings providing real-world data of what we already know.
Why do we need hard data proving what common sense tells us? Apparently, according to Senator Chuck Schumer (D), “many state legislatures have decided not to take decisive action on this problem, citing a lack of data on whether texting while driving is dangerous.” North Carolina, along with 14 other states, has already banned texting while driving.Senator Schumer is one of several senators trying to write and pass a bill that would giveStates two years to pass a law banning texting, and if they do not, the federal government will cut the States highway funding by 25 percent.
In order to collect the real-world data, and not data from simulations, VTTI used cameras to continuously observe light vehicle drivers and truckers for more than 6 million miles. VTTI’s research showed that text messaging, which had the highest risk of over 23 times worse than driving while not using a phone, also had the longest duration of eyes off the road time, 4.6 seconds. This is equal to a driver traveling the length of a football field at 55 mph without looking at the roadway.
After the results of their research, the VTTI recommends that texting be banned for all drivers and all cell phone use should be prohibited for newly licensed teen drivers.In light of the texting and driving, here is a free tip: safe driving and affordable insurance premiums go hand-in-hand.
Are you able to drive safely and text? Do you think it should be banned by the States?
Loading …
